All Of The Stars
by PinkLady12
Summary: Ashley Saltzman, comes in Mystic Falls to live with her uncle Alaric. She made the biggest mistake on her life, entering the supernatural world not knowing the risks of being on it. On top of all that, she has to struggle with to let go of her old life and start a new one. Can she? Set on season 3.
1. Prologue

_**I decided to quit 'Burning Love' because I can't write without knowing what's going to happen in season 7. I decided to write the one with Alaric's niece, Ashley Saltzman. She has long dark brown hair with dark brown eyes. Her hair are long and wavy. Her skin is tanned and delicate. Her eight is 5'8''. She is 18 years old and she is taking a year off before going to college. She knows about the supernatural world. Both of her parents died. Her father died in an accident when she was only three and her mother died when she was 16 years old from brain tumor. She is an only child and until know she lived with her grandparents from her mother's side in California and now she is going to live with her uncle Alaric in Mystic Falls. She is played by Shay Mitchell. This is set on before season 3 premiere.**_

 _ **Ashley is smart, stubborn, hot-headed, sarcastic, sometimes bitchy, really honest, bubbly and protective. She tries to be a heartless bitch but she ends up being an hardcore caring one. She is really complex and complicated person. She is confident, strong and she has a really strong back bone. She doesn't forgive easily and she thinks that she is always right in her head.**_

 _ **DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE VAMPIRE DIARIES, I JUST OWN ASHLEY SALTZMAN AND ANY CHARACTER I WILL ADD ON THE FUTURE.**_

* * *

 ** _3rd Person POV_**

Alaric Saltzman was driving his car to the airport. To tell you the truth, he was nervous of seeing his niece that he haven't seen when her mother died. His palms were sweating and he took little breaths for time to time. Ashley was a good girl but with a temper. She inherited her looks more from her mother than his brother. When he crossed his mind to his. brother, Adam it was like someone just shot him in the heart. He tried to get his mind off it and he noticed that he finally arrived at the airport. He parked his car and got in. He looked around and he finally found her with his eyes. There was she looking beautiful like always. Her hair were on a high ponytail. She was wearing some jeans short with a simple light purple shirt and white sneakers. She was looking for her bags. Alaric smiled ad walked over to her. She didn't notice him. She took two of her bags and placed them on the ground. Alaric came from behind and touched her in her stomach, scaring her and making her jump.

"Ahh!" She let out a little scream and Alaric started to laugh. She turned at him and he knew that he made her angry. Her face expression was filled with angriness but when she saw the person who scared her her face was filled with happiness.

"Ric!" She exclaimed and hugged him tightly. He hugged her tightly too. "How have you been?" She asked looking at him in the eye. He told her about what happened with Jenna.

"I'm better." Alaric replied, but something about his voice made Ashley suspicious but she shrugged it off.

"Glad to know. Will you help me with these bags, please?" She asked with her trademark innocent smile and he chuckled.

"Still using your innocent smile?" He asked taking some of her bags. She took her last bag and picked one other bag.

"Well, that helps me a lot." She made an excuse and he shook her head. They got out and went to his car. They fitted all her bags in the trunk and got in the car. He started to drive to Mystic Falls.

* * *

"So, Elena is Isobel's daughter which makes her your stepdaughter. Plus, you dated her aunt and now you're her legal guardian. She has a brother called Jeremy who has a ring like yours which brings people from the dead when a supernatural kills them. She is dating a vampire named Stefan Salvatore who is gone with an Original hybrid who killed Jenna. Stefan went with Klaus guy to give his older brother Damon the cure who is your best friend and is the vampire who killed Isobel. Elena has a doppelganger called Katherine who used to date and play with both Stefan and Damon and now history is repeating itself with Elena-" Alaric cut her Ashley off.

"Elena isn't playing or dating both of them. She loves Stefan but Damon loves her too." Alaric told her.

"But, that doesn't mean she isn't going to do that in the future." Ashley pointed out and Alaric didn't say nothing because she was too stubborn to even listen to him. "Elena has a witch friend called Bonnie and another friend called Caroline who was turned into a vampire. There is Tyler Lockwood who is a werewolf and Matt the only person I can relate for both of us being more normal." She finally finished it. "You're now leaving with Elena and Jeremy and I'm going to live in your apartment all alone. This is messed up."

"You're a fast learner and it is messed up." Alaric complimented her as they entered Mystic Falls. "I'm a human too."

"Your best friend is a vampire and your half-retired vampire hunter. What's normal about that?" She pointed out and he chuckled.

"How have you been doing?" Alaric asked her. "How is your friends and your boyfriend?"

"Hanna is going to an internship with Vera Wang and then she is going to Parsons, the New School for Design in New York while Eva is going to travel the world. And about Nate I broke up with him about six months old. I was bored and he was cheating on me. Don't worry, I punched him on the face and kicked him on the nuts." She replied and he snickered at the last part. "Boxing is really working for me." They passed the Mystic Falls sign and entered the town.

"First, we are going to the apartment and we re going to pack your stuff. And then we're going to the Gilbert house to meet Jeremy and Elena." Alaric explained and Ashley just nodded her head. He parked his car, they took all of her bags and they went to his apartment. When she got in, she looked around the apartment.

"It's nice in here." She said looking around. Her eyes stopped when she saw some weapons that Alaric used. "Those are cool." She started to walk towards them.

"And dangerous." He added and she rolled her eyes. "So, don't play with them." She turned to face Alaric.

"I'm 18. I'm not a kid anymore, Ric." She protested.

"To me you are." Alaric told her and she didn't say nothing.

"Where is my room?" She asked him and he pointed out to a room in the end of the corridor. She took some bags and walked over there. She opened the door. The room wasn't small or big but it was medium room. The walls were white. There was medium-sized bed and there was a T.V. She went to the closet and it was big. She had some drawers and a big mirror. There was a window nook and she remembered her old house which she lived with her mother. A rain of memories flashed in her mind and a tear threatened to escape. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Alaric came over with the other bags. Ashley opened one of bags and started to place her things where they belonged on her mind.

* * *

Ashley and Alaric stepped on the porch of the Gilbert house. Ashley changed her clothes, this time she let her hair down and was wearing a white loose shirt and some ripped jeans with black all-stars. Ashley thought that the house was pretty nice and beautiful, in her opinion a typical family house. Alaric rang the bell.

"Be nice." Alaric warned her.

"I'm always nice." Ashley defended herself and Alaric gave her a look. "Fine. I'll try." Just then, someone opened the door. A beautiful brunette girl with chocolate brown eyes. Ashley assumed that was Elena. Elena smiled at the two of them.

"Hi, Ric. This must be Ashley." Elena said politely and Ashley smiled at her and held her hand for Elena to shake. Elena shook it. "Come in, guys." Elena stepped back and they both entered the house.

"You have a nice house." Ashley commented looking around.

"Thanks." Elena thanked and she led them to the living room. There were two guys there. A guy with dark brown hair and another one with blonde hair. They were playing XBOX. Ashley noticed the game.

"Are guys playing Call of Duty: Black Ops?" She asked and both guys stopped the game and turned to look at her. "I'm Ashley." She walked over to them.

"Oh yeah, Alaric's niece.I'm Jeremy." The dark brown hair guy said first. Ashley was taken back how hot he was for a 16 year old. He was well-built for his age.

"And I'm Matt Donovan." The blonde one introduced himself. The first guy she met were smoking hot and she haven't met even the half of them. "Do you wanna play?"

"If you want a chick to beat your ass on a game, why not?" She said while raising her shoulders. They snickered ans she sat down in the middle of the two of them.

"So, how old are you?" Matt asked her.

"I'm 18. I just graduated high school this summer." She replied to him. "You two?"

"I'm a senior this year and Jeremy is a sophomore." Matt replied. "Finally, I'm not the only one who isn't a supernatural in the gang." Ashley chuckled. Elena and Alaric sat on the other couch looking at the three of them.

"How about me and Ric?" Jeremy asked Matt.

"He is half-retired vampire hunter and you have a magic ring that brings you back when a supernatural kill you." Ashley replied instead of Matt. Matt nodded in agreement.

"She just stole my words." Matt said and they started to play the game.

It had been awhile and Ashley crushed both of them in the game.

"Oh, come on." Jeremy whined when she beat them the last time.

"You're very good at this." Matt admitted as they finished the game. He looked at the time. "I have to go to work. You too, Jer."

"Where do you two work?" Ashley asked them.

"In Mystic Grill." Matt replied.

"Well, can one of you get me a job?" Ashley asked, looking between them. Everyone was shocked. Matt opened his mouth to say something.

"Wait, what?!" Alaric interrupted him. "You didn't mention me this."

"I wasn't going to tell you but here you are." Ashley told him with her innocent smile. "I'm 18 now and I can make my own decisions. I need the money for college too."

"Your parents saved the money for college." Alaric reminded her and she looked down.

"We used those money for you know what." Ashley said awkwardly rubbing her neck. Matt, Jeremy and Elena looked confused not knowing what was she talking about.

"I'm sorry, I forgot. Okay, you can get a job." Ashley smiled and got up. "Now go, before I change my mind." Matt, Jeremy and Ashley got up and left the house. They got on Matt's trunk and they started to drive to the Mystic Grill.

* * *

They arrived in the Mystic Grill and got in. While walking, Matt spotted a blonde girl and a dark haired guy.

"Shit, they are here!" Matt exclaimed, making both Jeremy and Ashley look in his line of vision. "Cover for me." He started to leave and Ashley looked between them and Matt with questioning look. When she saw Tyleer, she wondered was everyone here hot as hell.

"What the hell just happened?" Ashley asked Jeremy.

"That is Matt's ex, Caroline and that his best friend, Tyler. Everyone is assuming that they are dating. They're not but it's matter of time." Jeremy explained to her. Ashley tilted her head and shrugged.

"They do seem like that." Ashley admitted. They walked away from them and Jeremy found the manager. Both of them talked to him. It needed some convincing but in the end the manager agreed. She was going to work as waitress. Ashley squealed after the manager left. He came back giving her uniform.

"We are short on waiters, today. You need to work." He told her and she nodded her head. She went to wear her uniform and started to work. The first table was the one that Caroline and Tyler were. She walked over to them. She took a pencil and a small notebook.

"Hi, I'm Ashley. Your waitress. What would you like to order?" She asked them. It was a good thing that she was movie junkie and she saw in many movies how did the waiters asked the costumers.

"We saw you come here with Matt and Jeremy. You must be Alaric's niece. I'm Caroline and this is Tyler. Is Matt ignoring us?" Caroline talked.

"What?! No. He just wanted to be the first one to arrive." Ashley made a dumb excuse and they looked at her. "Okay, yes. He thinks that you're dating and I don't blame you, you kinda look cute together." Both Caroline and Tyler didn't talk and were caught in an awkward tension. "You better order before it gets more awkward."

"Your right. I'll have a Coke." Caroline said and Ashley wrote it down. She looked at Tyler.

"I'll have a coke too." Tyler told her and Ashley nodded her head.

"Coming right up." Ashley said and she went to the bar to get them. "Two cokes." The men that was behind it went to get some cokes and they Ashley noticed a handsome guy who was sitting two bar stools away. He was the hottest guy she ever met in her life. He had messy dark brown hair, icy blue eyes, pale skin and his face looked like it was sculptured by God himself. He was wearing a black V-neck shirt and black jeans with black boots. She noticed that he was drinking bourbon. She moved away her eyes before he could notice her. The guy turned to look at her and a smirk appeared on his face.

"I've never seen a beautiful girl like you around here." The guy complimented her and she turned to look at him again. Then she noticed that he was that guy who thought that any girl will kill themselves to be with them. She rolled her eyes.

"Compliments won't get you anywhere." She told him with a bitter smile. He chuckled.

"Someone has got spunk." The guy said. The men came with the cokes. "I'm Damon Salvatore." She stopped herself and looked at him.

"Wait, you are Damon Salvatore?" She asked and he nodded his head and he smirked even wider.

"Seems like I'm famous." He said with a cocky tone.

"I'm Ashley Saltzman, Alaric's niece." She introduced herself.

"Well, Ric forgot to told me that his niece was hot and beautiful." He flirted smoothly. She rolled her eyes.

"I'm glad that Ric told me that you are pain in the ass." She shot back and walked away with the cokes. Damon turned around and looked at her from behind as she walked to Tyler and Caroline.

"He forgot to tell me she has a hot back too." Damon muttered downing the drink.

* * *

 _ **This is the first chapter of 'All Of The Stars'. There will be another chapter before the episode 'The Birthday'. Ashley is going to have strong friendships with Matt and Jeremy because they are the most normal ones of the gang. Damon and her are going to be close friends teasing and mocking each-other most of the time but things will change everything.**_

 _ **I will be updating as soon as I can because I moved into another city and it's still hard to adapt in another place. Harder than I thought. Anyone who reads 'Love is Unexpected', I'm telling you that an update will come shortly and you still haven't read it, you can always read. Please favorite and follow story and if you have time review.**_

 _ **Love you all.**_


	2. Losing Control

_**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE VAMPIRE DIARIES, I JUST OWN MY CHARACTERS AND THEIR STORY LINES.**_

* * *

 **One week later**

The sun was shining through Ashley's windows. She was in her bed, heavy sleeping. Her alarm clock rang and she woke up, groaning. She reached her hand to turn off the alarm and she did. She yawned and opened her eyes slowly. She pulled her sheets and got up from the bed. She walked towards her mirror and looked at herself. She decided to jog and then go at work. She went to her closet and grabbed a black training bra, some black shorts and black Nike. She took her phone and plugged her earphones. She got out of her apartment and closed with her key. She got out of her flat and began to jog. She heard guys whistle but she decided to ignore them. She kept jogging and listening to music.

Now, she was jogging for an hour when her phone rang and she looked at the caller ID. It was Eva. She immediately picked up.

"Hey, E!" Ashley exclaimed through the phone. It had been a month since she last saw Eva.

"Hello Poo-Bear." Eva called Ashley with her old nickname. Ashley shook her head in disbelief.

"Stop, calling me that!" Ashley said while chuckling a little.

"Come on, Ash! It's a great nickname." Eva protested. "How have you been doing?" She changed the subject.

"Pretty good. I've made friends and Ric is amazing uncle as always." Ashley replied with a smile on her face. "How about you?"

"Great. I'm in Brazil now." Eva replied. "Have you talked to Hanna?"

"Yeah, I talked to her two days ago. She's really good and she met a guy called Ethan."

"I met a few guys." Eve sing-song and Ashley chuckled. "I need to go. Talk to you tomorrow?"

"Okay. Bye." Eva hanged up and Ashley put her phone in her pocket. She started to jog again.

* * *

Ashley was cleaning the tables of the Mystic Grill. It was still early but there were a few people . Ashley went to back stock room and saw Jeremy.

"What are you two doing here?" Jeremy asked, looking at nobody. Ashley furrowed her eyebrows in confusion with who is he talking.

"Are you talking to ghost?" Ashley questioned him, making him jump from fear. He turned to look at her.

"Huh?" He decided to play dumb but he wasn't fooling her.

"You were like 'What are you two doing here?'." Ashley tried to do Jeremy's voice but failed miserably. "Are you high?" Her voice dripping suspicious.

"No, I'm having one of those days." Jeremy replied to her and left the room. Ashley wasn't convinced at all, she decided to ignore it for the day. She got out and saw two people sitting in her section. She went there and got their order. She went to the bar and told the bartender to get them.

"Hi, beautiful." He heard a familiar voice behind her. She turned around to face the older Salvatore. She was used now by his flirting.

"Hi, Damon." She replied and he sat on one of the bar stools. "Drinking already?"

"I have to go on a road trip in Kentucky to find my little bro and I need to drink before I go." Damon replied. The bartender came with the order. "Why don't you join me?"

"First of all, I have to work. And second, a trip with you no thanks." She replied and took her order. Damon walked in front of her. "Oh, come on! It will be fun. Plus, you can finally confess your attraction to me." Damon smirked at the last part.

"The only confession to do with you is the one that I'm disgusted by you and your attitude. And the only one who needs to confess something is you." Damon raised an eyebrow. "To sweet Elena for your undying love for her." Damon's expression faltered and Ashley moved away from him. She went to go give the other people the order and went back. She then realized how rude and unconsidered she was.

"Why am I such a bitch?" She saw that Damon was drinking and rushed to him. "I'm so sorry." He turned to look at her and you can see he was angry and sad at the same time. "I was rude, bitchy and unconsidered. I'm trying to be less bitchy but you sometimes make it so hard. You should know that I don't apologize that often. I'm sorry." When she ended, Damon's smirk appeared on his face.

"Seems like I'm a special person." Damon winked at her after he said that.

She sighed. "Don't make me regret what I said."

"Well, you can do me a favor and come with me in this trip." She gave him a look and he pouted his lips.

"I have work." She reminded him again.

"And I can compel." Damon pointed out and he walked away. Ashley was confused and she shrugged it off, not knowing the meaning of his words.

"Ashley!" She heard her manager call and walked towards him. "You're free today." He walked away without saying any other words and Damon came behind her with a smirk on his face.

"Coming?" He asked and she turned to him. She crossed her arms and then she sighed.

"Fine, fine. Just let me change." A triumphant smile appeared on Damon as he saw her leave.

* * *

The only noise that was coming was from the radio. Damon was driving the car while Ashley was looking around at the nature. She turned to look at him.

"This is supposed to be fun." Ashley retorted and Damon looked at her.

He sighed. "So, Ashley Saltzman. Tell me something about you."

"I thought we are going to have fun, not taking a trip to memory lane." Damon chuckled at her words.

"Well, you tell me something about yourself and then I'll do it."

"Okay." She hesitated for a moment. "I was born in January 29th, 1992. My mother's name was Violet and my father's name was Adam. My father died in a car accident and my mother died from brain tumor when I was 16. I lived with my grand parents from my mother side but then decided to move with Ric." She turned to Damon. "Your turn."

"I'm not going to tell you my age because I like it as a mystery. My mother Lillian died from consumption and my father was killed by Stefan." Ashley opened her mouth to say something but Damon continued. "He deserved that. He killed us when we were human." She couldn't help but widen her eyes out of surprise. "In 1864, me and Stefan met this beautiful girl named Katherine and we both fell in love with her. She played with us like we were her dolls. Then we turned to vampires and Katherine was 'stuck' in the tomb. When I opened the tomb, Katherine wasn't there. 145 years of waiting for her, gone just like that. Then I found out she never loved that it will be always Stefan." k

"Oh My God! That's rough." Damon just looked, directly without any expression in his face. "I never met Katherine but she is capital biatch. Maybe for her it's always Stefan but you never know what the future holds. She can forget Stefan and find a new guy herself."

"You really can be good." Damon pointed out with a smirk.

"Do you want to test me? I can be pretty bitchy." She crossed her arms and he shot her a look.

"And bossy."

"I'm that too." She admitted shrugging her shoulder and he chuckled. "Sorry for asking this question. Why always fall in love with girls who have things with your brother?" Damon didn't reply and Ashley looked down kinda feeling stupid that she asked that kind of question. "If it was me I wouldn't waste my time with that. Family is above all and that includes above all. Love comes and goes, family stays." Damon looked at her for a second and silent hit them again.

* * *

"You're telling me that you're lying to Elena because you didn't want to raise her hopes high? Stefan gone that bad?" Ashley asked as they were making their way in a bar.

Damon nodded his head. "Elena thinks that she saw Stefan in the worst moment but trust me she didn't. She thinks is so easily to just bring old Stefan back."

"Love is blindness." Ashley muttered and they got in the bar. Ashley gasped in shock as she saw 20 bodies lying around the place. "You sure this is Stefan?"

"Yep." He walked towards a men. "He rips every part of the body and then when he finishes, he feels sorry and puts the body back on place." The man's head dropped and Ashley winced in disgust.

"That's the most disgusting thing I've ever see in my life." She admitted. "Stefan's good at this." Damon gave her a look and she shrugged off her shoulders. "Jut pointing out. I have my right to speak up my opinion." Damon grabbed the tank of gasoline and he started to put it on all of the bodies. After he was done, he lighted a fire and both of them exited the bar.

"We're going to let the bar burn. That's just so..." Ashley began to say but Damon cut her off.

"We need Stefan to keep a low profile." Damon told her and she nodded her head in understatement. They opened Damon's car doors but before Ashley could get in Damon stopped her. "Don't tell Elena."

"Why not? She needs to know the truth. No matter how ugly the truth is." Ashley got in saying that and so did Damon.

"Just don't." Damon repeated and she looked in him disbelief.

"So protective."

"So bitchy."

"Good."

"Good!"

"Fine!" And with that they drove off. "This was supposed to be fun."

* * *

Ashley was now on the front porch, ringing the bell. She was pissed that she wasted her time going with Damon on this trip. It was Jeremy who opened the door.

"Hey, Jer!" She greeted, getting in the house. Jeremy could notice that something was off with her.

"What's up with you?" He asked and she sighed.

"Went in a road trip with Damon, the biggest mistake of my entire life." She replied with annoyance in her tone.

"He pissed you that much?" Jeremy asked with a raised eyebrow. She nodded her head indicating that yes. "Why did you two go?"

"To find Stefan." She replied.

"Wait, what?!" They heard Elena's voice and both of them looked at her. "What happened?" She remembered Damon telling her that it will be better t lie. Alaric joined them too when he heard them.

"You went to look for Stefan? You put yourself in risk." Alaric told her.

"Nothing happened, it was just a dead-end. And don't worry I'm not going to waste my time anymore." Elena gave her a look in the last part. "What's with the look, Elena?"

"You were trying to find Stefan, that's not a waste of your time." Elena replied to her question, pissing her off even more.

"Elena." Alaric warned her but it was too late.

"Oh, I'm sorry princess... I know it says the world revolves around the sun, not you. Need a fucking hand getting off the pedestal?" Ashley snapped, hurting Elena a lot. She was pissed and she really didn't regret it. Jeremy's mouth was open in shock and Alaric was glaring her. "I better go." Ashley opened the door and walked away. She got in her car and started to drive. She was angry at the world right now and she was taking on everyone who was around her. She really didn't care. She pulled her car and tears started to form on her eyes. She felt so lonely and broken in that moment and she couldn't deal with it anymore. She began to sob slowly and she rested her head in her driver's seat. She wanted to take her anger someone, everyone who comes in her way. She couldn't control herself or her emotions. She decided to relax and she closed her eyes.

"Ashley." She heard a voice and opened her eyes to see Alaric, who left the house and followed her after she did. She sighed and got out of the car.

"I'm sorr-" She didn't finish as she broke down crying. He wrapped his arms around her as she supported her head against his chest. "I miss them so much."

* * *

Alaric and Alaric were in the Grill. They were sitting in a table and drinking coffee. They were silent until Ashley broke the silence.

"I lose control and I can't control it. I get mad at little things." Ashley admitted.

"Since when has this started?" Alaric asked, taking a sip of his coffee.

"After mom died, I started to get angry more often. To calm myself, I started to do drugs. They calmed me but damaged me. I don't have anything to calm me down expect boxing and martial arts." She replied, looking down.

"What you said to Elena was really unconsidered of you." Alaric pointed out and she narrowed his eyes at him.

"I was just saying everyone's opinion and she really needs to know the ugly truth." She defended herself.

"What ugly truth?" He asked suspicion on his voice.

"Klaus isn't the one attacking, Stefan is. Klaus is just making Stefan do his dirty work. Stefan has become a Ripper." Ashley replied running a hand through her hair. "Someone needs to tell her that life isn't about fairy tales and happy endings when you are in a supernatural world."

"Don't say anything to her."

She scoffed. "I know it's not in my business but someone needs to. I'm definitely not going to be the one to tell her but someone has too."

"Elena had a rough life. Her biological, adoptive parents and her aunt died. Give her some break."

"I'm not saying that she's not strong because she is. I'll admit that but she needs to know that she isn't the only one with a hard life. You yourself had a hard life. Everyone had. No one lives a life with rainbows and sunshine."

"Just be nicer." Alaric begged her and she sighed in defeat.

"Fine but if she says something like that again. I'll show her the bitch inside if me." She got up from her place and looked at Alaric. "You'll pay these, right?" He nodded his head and she smiled. "Thanks." She leaned down and kissed his cheek. "Night."

"Night." He saw as his niece walked up to the exit of the Mystic Grill.

* * *

 _ **Here's chapter 2. I hope you guys enjoy it and please review, favorite and follow. The next chapter is 'The Birthday'. Ashley will be facing someone from her past and it might push her to do something she never wanted to. Her tension with Elena will grow chapter by chapter while her fights with Damon will cool down. She will kick it off with one of the Originals, having things in common. You can guess who.**_

 _ **Binderya22:**_ I still haven't chose about Ric and his alter ego. Yeah, that will be so funny and awesome. Damon will kinda break their bro code. Hahahahaha. We will see. Here's the update.

 ** _Guest:_** That is great and here is the update. I hope you enjoy it.

 _ **Adela:**_ Yeah, that was pretty funny but there will be more funny moments between them. Especially when Damon is so cocky and Ashley so bitchy.


	3. The Birthday

_**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE VAMPIRE DIARIES, I JUST OWN MY CHARACTERS AND THEIR STORY LINES.**_

* * *

Ashley arrived on the Grill for work. She was really tired and she wanted just to sleep. She went to the changing room and wore her work uniform. She sat on one of the bar stools waiting for costumers to come. Matt came to work today.

"Hey, Matt." She greeted with a smile. She really bonded with Matt he was a nice guy and they were the only normal people.

"Hi, Ash!" Matt greeted and left to change. Ashley saw some people sit in her sections and she walked up to them.

"Morning. I'm Ashley, you waitress. What would you like?" Ashley asked nicely and they ordered. After a couple of minutes, she gave their orders and left.

Ashley now was standing alone and playing 'Angry Birds' on her phone. Her manager walked over to her.

"Someone is looking for you." The manager informed her and she furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.

"Who?" She simply asked and the manager shrugged his shoulders. She groaned and got up. She walked to the table and stopped in shock at the familiar face.

"Miss me?" The familiar blonde asked with a smile and Ashley crossed her arms, pissed at the person.

"What are you doing here, Nate?" She asked.

"To visit you." He replied.

"Well, you did and now leave." She told him with an annoyed smile.

"Come and sit. We need to talk." Nate gestured.

"No, thanks. I'm at work and I'd rather poke my eyes out." She started to leave but he stopped her.

"Okay, after work." Ashley hesitated for a moment but then she agreed.

"Done. Now leave me alone before I kick you in the nuts again." Nate just smiled and walked out of the Grill. Ashley covered her face with her hands.

* * *

After her shift ended, Ashley got out of the Grill to meet Nate.

"Ashley!" She heard someone calling and turned to look at Caroline Forbes.

"Hey, Caroline." She greeted nicely. Ashley quite liked Caroline, she wasn't that bad.

"Elena's birthday party is today. You're invited." Caroline told her before Ashley could say something. "No excuses."

"I don't think Elena likes me that much." Caroline gave her a confused look at Ashley's words. "I mean I kinda called her selfish and self-absorbed." Caroline opened her mouth in shock.

"That was in the past." Caroline said.

"It was barely two weeks ago." Ashley pointed better.

"Well, still it was in the past. Can I count on you to help me decorate?" Before Ashley could say anything, Caroline smiled at her. "Great. Meet me in the Salvatore Boarding House." Ashley watched as the bossy blonde left.

"I can't believe someone just ordered you to do some thing." She heard Nate's voice and she turned at him.

"What do you want Nate?" Ashley asked slightly annoyed with him. She hated every fiber of him.

"Let's walk." Nate suggested and they started to walk away.

"Nate, you want something because you won't come from California just to see me." Ashley pointed out.

"There are two things I want. You back and money." Nate told her and Ashley stopped.

"What do you mean you want money?" Ashley asked as she narrowed him with her eyes. "We're done, Nate. Go back to your girl and get her money."

"It's your fault that I need money." Nate told her and she furrowed her eyebrows.

"What the hel-" He interrupted her.

"It was your fault that I started drugs. Now that you went to rehab and got all better and free-drugs. I became addictive." He told her and she now was angry and pissed at him.

"I told you long before to break up with me and not become involved." She told him.

"I was in love with you and I still am." She started to chuckle.

"People who love someone, never cheat on that person."

"Okay, then. When you're all alone because of you start again drugs, don't look for me." He told her and started to leave.

"Trust me, I won't." She told him but he didn't stop walking.

"Trust me, you will!" He shouted walking away. Ashley saw as he disappeared from her and a single tear came from her eyes. She wiped it and walked away trying to forget her conversation with Nate.

* * *

Ashley decided to go help Caroline with the decorations and other things. She knocked on the door of the boarding house and who other than Elena opened the door. Elena had a smile on her face but faltered immediately when she saw Ashley. Ashley faked a smile.

"Happy birthday, Elena!" Ashley said with a fake enthusiasm. Elena smiled again.

"Thank you, Ash." Elena replied and Ashley entered in. The house was big and it had this old furniture thing going. Ashley followed Elena and saw that Caroline and Tyler was there. She greeted Tyler and started to decorate. As soon as she started Elena started to ramble about the Salvatore brothers.

"I feel like I have to fight Damon every single time we get a lead on Stefan." Elena told them.

"Maybe he doesn't want to find him." Tyler pointed out, making everyone look at him. Caroline looked at him in shock.

"Tyler!" Caroline warned him but he ignored her.

"What? He's into you, isn't he?" Tyler asked and Ashley couldn't believe that they were talking about Damon not wanting to save Stefan. She just wanted to tell anyone that he was a ripper but she promised Damon not to say anything.

"The only reason Stefan left with Klaus was so that he could save Damon's life. I mean, trust me, Damon wants to find him." Elena told Tyler.

Ashley decided to talk. "Yeah and Stefan is his brother."

"But you kissed him?" Tyler pointed out, leaving Ashley in shock. Elena was really stringing both of the Salvatore brothers. Caroline gave Tyler 'the look'. "Probably screwed with his head."

"You are playing him, Elena." Ashley added and Tyler nodded his head in agreement.

"Guys!" Caroline warned and they shrugged their shoulders. Elena smiled and looked down. Caroline and Elena looked at each-other. "Sorry!"

"Don't worry about it, look yes I kissed him but was a...it was a goodbye kiss. I thought he was gonna die." Elena made an excuse for herself and Ashley gave her a look.

"But, you kissed him." Ashley still pointed out and Elena looked away. Tyler and Ashley exchanged looks and Elena's phone beeped.

"I missed a call from Bonnie, I'll be right back." Elena left the room, leaving Caroline, Tyler and Ashley in the room. After Elena left, Caroline turned to Tyler.

"Just because I tell you things doesn't mean you're allowed to know them!" Caroline told him angry.

"Sorry. I've gotta run if I'm gonna change and pick up Sophie in time." Caroline was shocked when Tyler said that he was bringing someone.

"Wait. You're bringing a date? Slutty Sophie is your date?" Caroline asked slightly jealous. Ashley started to do something to avoid their awkward talk.

"Hey! It's been kinda slow in that department. And... I am horny all the time now!" Tyler replied and Ashley frowned in disgust.

"Guys, I really don't wanna hear how horny you two are." Ashley said but they decided to ignore her.

"Yeah, tell me about it, sometimes I feel like I'm gonna explode! It's a vampire thing. Yeah, our emotions are heightened and we're on overdrive." Caroline explained and Ashley started to hit herself with a book. She decided to leave but Caroline gave her in that moment more things to decorate.

"It's a werewolf thing too. Just like I can't turn it off." Tyler and Caroline shared some looks.

"Yeah." There was an awkward silence and Ashley cleared her throat. She believed if she wasn't there, Tyler and Caroline would jump on each-other's bones. "Well. Uh—I hope you'll get—uh—Lucky tonight." Tyler laughed awkwardly.

"I'll see you later." Tyler said leaving. "You too Ashley." He added and she waved at him.

"Yeah, See you later." Ashley turned to look at Caroline with a look. "What?" Caroline asked.

"The sexual tension between you two was going to make me sick." Ashley joked.

"There is no sexual tension." Caroline insisted and Ashley gave her a look.

"Totally." Ashley's voice dripped with sarcasm and Caroline rolled her eyes.

* * *

Ashley was in the apartment applying make up. She was putting on a red lipstick. She did her hair a little more curly than she usually did. She was wearing white crop top and tight short black skirt with black pumps. After she was ready, she looked at herself in the mirror.

 _"Okay, then. When you're all alone because_ _of you start again drugs, don't look for me."_

The words that Nate said were going all over her mind and she couldn't stop it as much as she tried. She now was doubting herself because of his words. She didn't want to enter that dark path again. she repeated to herself that she was done with all of these and she was going to g to the party and have fun. She took a deep breath and smiled at herself. She looked at her outfit one more time. She took Elena's present and left the apartment.

After a while, she arrived in the party. When she opened the door, she saw that Caroline invited more people that she imagined. While she walked to Caroline, some guys winked at her and she just smiled at them.

"I thought it was a small party." She said to Caroline and Caroline chuckled.

"I had to lie to Elena." Caroline told her and Ashley smiled. Caroline looked away and saw Elena and Damon come together. "Come on." She pulled Ashley with her and they walked towards them. Damon noticed them the first coming and saw what was wearing. He stared at her a minute but then he looked away.

"You like? Don't answer that." Caroline said and Elena looked at her.

"This is keeping it small?" Elena asked and Caroline smiled innocently at her. "What are we drinking?"

Ashley smiled and handed Elena her present. "Here. This is your birthday present." Elena smiled at her gratefully. A guy came to them and looked at Ashley.

"Wanna dance?" He asked her and Ashley smiled at him.

"Yeah, why not." She accepted and walked away with the guy to the place where people were dancing. Damon looked at her as she walked away from them.

* * *

Ashley was dancing with the guy and she noticed something. Matt and Jeremy with pot. She blinked her eyes a few times but her eyes were okay. She turned to the guy.

"Excuse me. I have to go." She walked away from the guy without paying attention to what he said. She walked to Jeremy and Matt. They stopped when they saw her. She crossed her arms.

"Really pot?" She asked them and they looked at her. "Who sold you that?"

"Henry from the kitchen sold me a dime." Jeremy replied to her. Ashley snatched the pot from Matt's hands.

"Hey!" Matt protested but Ashley chose to ignore him.

"Trust me, it isn't worth it." Ashley told them.

"I'm having a rough months." Jeremy excused himself.

"Me too." Matt added.

"Okay, then. Do something like sleep around with girls." They chuckled at her words. "You end up bad with this." She said showing them the pot. Just then, Matt snatched the pot and took a little. He gave it to Jeremy and left. Jeremy started himself and he looked at Ashley. He offered to her and she looked at the pot. Nate's words glued in her mind but she just shook her head and walked away from him. She saw Damon's bourbon and walked it. She took the bottle and started to drink.

* * *

To say that Ashley was drunk was an understatement. She couldn't even stay on her own feet. She saw Alaric, Damon and Elena outside. She walked towards them and she was proud that she wasn't stumbling. As soon as she stepped in the porch, she stumbled earning their attention's.

"Sorry, I'm a little clumsy today." She lied but Alaric didn't buy it.

"Are you drunk?" Alaric asked with a raised eyebrow and Ashley waled over to him.

"Specify drunk." She told him and he gave her a look.

"Ashley!" Alaric called her name warily.

"Don't worry I didn't drink that much." She told him and she then looked at Elena. "Jeremy and Matt are."

"I know." Elena said.

"Is his stash any good?" Damon joked and the girls turned to him.

"You're an ass." Ashley told him and he just shrugged his shoulders. Elena turned to Alaric.

"Talk to him, please. He looks up to you." Elena told Alaric and gave the glass to Damon. She left the porch and got inside. Damon and Ashley looked at Alaric.

"You're screwed." Damon commented.

"Ah." Was all Alaric. Alaric looked at Ashley and Damon and gave Damon a look.

"Sorry for being a dick." Damon apologized to her and she nodded her head.

"I'm sorry too. I have a temper." She told him and he smirked. She rolled her eyes at him and Damon and Alaric continued drinking. While Ashley looked up to see that the night was full with stars. A special memory came in her mind and she smiled in a bittersweet way.

* * *

 ** _L.A California, 1999_**

 _A beautiful women was standing on the porch of her house. Her dark brown eyes were centered on the sky and she was looking at the sky._

 _"Mommy?" She heard her daughter's voice and turned her head to look at her seven year old daughter, Ashley. She walked towards her daughter._

 _"What honey?" The woman asked kneeling down to take a better look at her daughter._

 _"Why are you staying this late?" Ashley asked as she yawned a little. Her mother smiled at her little daughter._

 _"I was looking at the stars. Want to see them with me?" Ashley nodded at her mother's question. They sat on the chairs of the porch and looked at the sky. "You know what is the beauty of the stars?"_

 _"What?" Ashley asked as she looked up._

 _"Stars are a lot like humans. They live and die. Plus, each one of them has secrets just like us. The difference is that they live in the sky while we live in Earth." Ashley's eyes sparkled as she looked at the stars._

 _"My mom used to say that the stars are people who helped people as much as they could and do good things." Violet continued and Ashley listened carefully._

 _"Do you think dad is there?" Ashley asked and her mother was taken back by her daughter's question._

 _"Of course he is. I'm sure that right now he is looking after us." Violet replied and Ashley smiled at her. "Your dad was a doctor and a hero. Everyone loved him and respected him. You're a lot like your dad. You both are honest and protective." Ashley smiled at her mother._

 _"I love you, mommy." Ashley whispered in her ear._

 _"I love you too, Ash."_

* * *

Ashley now was drinking with Caroline. Caroline was looking at Tyler as he was dancing with Sophie full on jealousy. Matt walked up to them.

"Since when are they a thing?" Matt asked Caroline about her and Tyler.

"I thought you were ignoring me?" Caroline shot back. Ashley looked at them amused.

"I'm not ignoring you." Matt told her and Caroline looked at him in disbelief. Ashley sighed as she remembered how many times Matt had told her to take his section because Tyler and Caroline were sitting there.

"You only said five words to me all summer, and those were four of them." Caroline pointed out.

"Maybe because every time I've seen you, you've been with him." Matt shot back at her and he was right.

"Because he's my friend! Which is what I thought you were." Caroline told him clearly pissed.

"This is so much better than soap operas." Ashley mumbled, looking at them.

"Aren't you guys supposed to be like mortal enemies, I mean isn't that how it works in vampire werewolf universe?" Matt asked, earning Tyler's attention.

"Matt, shhhh!" Caroline shushed him and Tyler looked up to them. "What is wrong with you?"

"I don't know. I'm out of it... I guess." Matt replied. Tyler looked up again and started to walk towards them. "Sorry..." Matt walked away. Ashley saw that Tyler was approaching Caroline and decided to leave. She decided that she needed her rest and went upstairs trying not to stumble. She went to the room that caught her attention first. She got in and saw a really good decorated room. She saw a bed and jumped on it. She closed her eyes and tried to rest.

Just minutes away, someone entered the room. Ashley looked up just to see Caroline with a blood bag on her hand.

"Mind if I join you?" Caroline asked and Ashley nodded her head.

"You were not jealous at all." Ashley said sarcastically and Caroline rolled her yes.

"Yeah, I'm jealous and I just compelled Sophie to leave the party." Caroline told her and Ashley widened her eyes in shock.

"Who's room is this?" Ashley asked, changing the subject and looking around the room.

"Damon's." Caroline replied.

"That idiot got some taste." Ashley pointed out and Caroline started to drink the blood bag. "You really are a good at this vampire thing."

"Well, I'm trying. Sometimes feelings can get the best of me and it's hard." Caroline told her.

"Yeah, I kinda understand. My anger gets the best of me. And my bitchiness." Caroline chuckled at that. They heard someone come in.

"This room's off limits!" Caroline called but the person got in. It was Elena.

"Sorry." She apologized to Elena. "I just needed to take a beat." Caroline put the blood bag down.

"Are you hiding?" Ashley asked Elena.

"I was just looking for Damon." Elena replied to her and Ashley nodded her head slightly.

"Well, he better be here somewhere because we haven't even done the cake yet." Caroline told Elena making Ashley chuckle at her words.

"I think I'm gonna pass on the whole cake thing." Elena said to Caroline and Ashley laid on Damon's bed.

"That's like the best part of the birthday." Ashley pointed out.

"What? no, no way, no! It's your birthday! You know it's the dawn of a new day and, you can't get on with your life until you have made a wish and blown out the candles." Caroline told Elena.

"Is that what you all want me to do? Just get on with my life?" Elena asked Caroline.

"No... Maybe... I just don't think anyone wants to see you like this." Caroline replied.

"And you can't spend your whole time around a guy." Ashley added.

"He isn't some guy, he's Stefan." Elena told her.

"Sorry, I'm not in cliches that much." Ashley apologized before she could say something offensive to Elena.

"I'm not gonna give up on finding Stefan." Elena was determined.

"Of course not. And you shouldn't, but you have to admit that you kinda just letting your life pass you by. And isn't Stefan the one who wanted to make sure that you lived it?" Caroline reminded Elena.

"Stefan seems like considering he's a vampire." Ashley mumbled.

Elena chose to ignore Ashley's comment. "You want me to make a wish? I just wanna know that he's alive. That's it! That's my wish." Elena started to leave the room when she stopped as she saw Damon's closet open. She walked towards it.

"I'm sorry, okay. I'm just drunk and dumb tonight. Wait, what are you doing..,?" Caroline trailed off as Elena opened the closet. Ashley turned to look at the closet just to see the closet was full with maps, notes and articles that Damon had used to find Klaus and Stefan. Caroline walked to Elena while Ashley bit her lip knowing well what it is. Damon had told her in the trip that he kept everything.

"What's all that?" Caroline asked Elena.

"It's Klaus. Damon's been tracking him without me." Elena replied full with shock of what she was seeing.

"Why wouldn't he just tell you?" Caroline asked and Ashley chewed her lip harder not to tell them that Damon wasn't telling her because they were Stefan's attack.

"I don't know." Elena replied and Ashley laid in the bed again. She closed her eyes...

* * *

Damon entered his bedroom just to find Elena and Ashley there. Elena was looking in his closet while Ashley had fallen asleep.

"What? What are you doing here?" Damon asked Elena. "Why the hell is she sleeping in my bed?"

Elena chose to ignore his question for Ashley and looked at him. "Why didn't you tell me? Why did you keep it a secret?"

"Can we not do this right now? I'm having a really bad night." Damon moved away from her but Elena stopped him.

"All summer, every single time I came to you with a lead, you made me feel like an idiot for having hope." Elena said to him.

"You were an idiot. We both were." Damon told her.

"Tell me what you know, Damon." Elena demanded but Damon was tired to fight with her. Stefan just had killed Andie.

"I know you need to get back to your party, Elena." Damon tried to change the subject.

"We're supposed to be in this together. Why didn't you tell me that you've been tracking Klaus' victims?" Elena asked him and then that hit Damon's nerves.

"Because they're not Klaus' victims, Elena, they're Stefan's!" Damon snapped at her and Elena was taken back by the truth.

"What?" Elena asked still in denial of the truth.

"He's left a trail of body parts up and down the eastern seaboard." Damon informed her but Elena was still in denial.

"No. You're wrong." Elena denied the truth.

"I've seen it happen before. He's flipped the switch, full blown ripper."

"Stop it, Damon!"

"No, you stop, Elena! Stop looking for him. Stop waiting for him to come home. Just stop! Stefan is gone and he's not coming back. Not in your lifetime." Damon told her. Damon walked up to his bed and carried Ashley in bridal style. He left the room with her. Elena started to cry and she touched her necklace. Damon was walking downstairs with Ashley in his arms.

"You were right, she wouldn't take the truth good." He heard her mumbling.

"I'm always right." Damon whispered in her ear as he left the boarding house and walked to his car to take her to the apartment.

"One day, I'll prove that wrong." Damon opened his passenger's car door and got her in. He then went to his side and got in. He started to drive.

"Thanks, for helping me." Ashley thanked Damon, before drifting in sleep okay.

* * *

Ashley woke up in the middle of the night and looked around. Just to find a letter at her bedside table. She grabbed and read it.

 _Seems like you're big fan of Leonardo DiCaprio. You moaned his name every five seconds. ;)- Damon._

She sure knew that she didn't dream at all, that he was messing with her. She ended up smiling. She got under her sheets and she didn't even change. She was too tired and lazy to do that. She slowly closed her eys and slept again. Today was a long day and she hoped tomorrow will be a better day.

* * *

 ** _This is chapter 3. I hope you guys like it. Thanks for the reviews, favorites and follows. I will be updating as soon as possible. I don't have that much of free time considering that I need to study all the time and do volunteers work._**

 ** _Adela:_** Yeah, Ashley speaks her mind and she sometimes is really funny while speaking it. She will always trow some bitchy comments from time to time. Here is the update

 _ **Guest:**_ I know right!

 _ **Love you guys.**_


	4. The Hybrid

_**Sorry for the late update but school has started and I really need to concentrate on it. So, here's the update.**_

 _ **DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE VAMPIRE DIARIES, I JUST OWN MY CHARACTERS AND THEIR STORY LINES.**_

* * *

Ashley got up from her bed and her head was still hurting. She opened her bedroom door just to see her uncle taking some weapons and grenades.

"What are you doing with them?" She asked holding her head.

"How much did you drink?" Alaric changed the subject.

"I wish I remembered. My head is still hurting." By the looks of her face she seemed like she still needed sleep. "Now, answer my question."

"Going to train." Alaric told her but something about his words didn't assure Ashley.

"Why the hell do you need to bomb?" She went to reach it but Alaric slapped her hand.

"You still don't know how to use this and it's dangerous." Ashley rolled her eyes at him and Alaric sighed. "And you need to sleep because you like crap."

"Thanks Ric." Ashley started to walk towards her bedroom. She could feel something fishy about Alaric's answers. She wanted to follow him but she was too sleepy. She ignored the feeling and went to sleep in her bed. She slowly closed her eyes and she fell asleep quickly.

* * *

"Rise and shine, little Saltzman." Ashley heard the older Salvatore's cocky voice and groaned. She opened her eyes just to find Damon laying in her bed with his arms under his head. She gave him a look.

"What are you doing here?" She asked sitting on her bed.

"It's time for another road trip between us." Damon said and got up from her bed.

"No thanks." Ashley cover her face with her blankets. Damon sighed and pulled her sheets.

"Ric just called me and he told me that he and Elena went to Smoky Mountains to look for Stefan. And let's not forget that tonight is a full moon." Ashley got up from her bed with a start.

"What the hell is wrong with Elena?! How can that little bitch take my uncle to a dangerous place?!" Damon rolled his eyes.

"Don't be dramatic now." Damon told her.

"It's not your uncle that it's in risk." Ashley shot back at him and moved to her closet.

"No, it's my best friend and Elena." Ashley grabbed a white tank-top and some blue shorts. Damon crossed his arms and tilted his head.

"What are you waiting for? Get out of the room!" Damon didn't move at all.

"I rather stay here and look at you." Ashley rolled her eyes.

"Damon, we don't have time for your never going to happen dreams." Damon smirked at her.

"You never know what the future hold." Damon moved to her bedroom door.

"Not me and you." Damon ept smirking and closed the door. Ashley rolled her eyes and started to dress up.

* * *

Damon and Ashley were driving to the Smoky Mountains and Ashley was rambling.

"I knew that something was fishy but stupid me let it go. I was too tired to even think but still why am I so stupid? And thanks for bringing me home last night." Damon just nodded his head.

"You're welcome." He said in a cocky tone.

Ashley looked at him. "And I thought I was cocky and all proud but then I met you." Damon snorted at her comment.

You know that you're a bitch." Ashley placed her hand on her chest.

"Oh My God, thanks. That;s the most heartwarming thing somebody ever said to me." Damon narrowed his eyes at her.

"Now tell me why you are a bitch?" Ashley scowled at him but she decided.

"Because i this world if a girl tells the truth and speaks her mind is a bitch. Well then, I'm a straight-up bitch."

"Bravo." Damon said to her and she shot him a proud smile.

"Now, your turn. Why the hell do you act 'I'm so cool' when you're really trying to hide your love for sweet innocent wannabe that Katherine chick Elena?" Ashley asked looking at the road.

"Elena isn't Katherine." Damon tried to assure her.

"Yeah, and you're not a vampire." Ashley retorted.

"What's your problem with Elena?" Damon asked and Ashley gave him a look. Literally no one could see what Elena was. They were so blinded by her and the only one who could see it was Ashley.

"In my opinion, she's too much self-righteous and self-absorbed but you guys are blind. And I don't hate Elena yet but I don't like her either." Ashley admitted without even regretting her words.

"What happened to you that made you like this?" Damon asked looking at her directly for the first time. Ashley's eyes met his and she felt hypnotized by his blue eyes that were trying to read her. She found herself lost for a moment but then she came back to her senses.

"Eyes on the road, idiot. I don't have healing powers like yours." Damon chuckled at her but his eyes moved to the road. "Because life is hard and that's my way to cope with it. Now, you answer my question?"

"Life is hard and that's my way to cope with it." Damon repeated her words, making Ashley smack him in the arm. "Okay, okay. Because like yours my life is a living hell and I'm pretend that everything is okay." Ashley looked at him but Damon's face didn't show any emotions.

"Give it a few more years, it will be better." Ashley gave him an advice and Damon rolled her eyes.

"Thank you, ." Those words made Ashley chuckle. She had to admit that Damon was funny.

* * *

Damon and Ashley had arrived in the mountains and they were trying to find Elena and Alaric.

"I wanted to stay home and watch re-runs of Supernatural." Ashley admitted as they walked. Damon turned to look at her. "You know that I'm getting a few great tips from the Winchesters brothers. I wish they came to Mystic Falls and taught you cocky vampires to be defeated."

"You really watch that show?" Damon asked and Ashley nodded her head.

"The brothers are hot and it's really badass and kickass like me." Ashley leaned down trying not to get hit by a tree branch.

"Since when are you kickass and badass?" Damon asked her.

"Since forever." Ashley sing-sang and Damon rolled his eyes at the girl. He stopped walking making the Saltzman girl stop walking too. "What's going on?"

"Come with me." Damon grabbed her and they vamp-sped away. Ashley could feel that she was going to puke. She closed her eyes tight. After a few seconds, they stopped. Ashley opened her eyes just to see her uncle and Elena a few feet away from them.

"I don't know why you think that you're a lost cause." Elena began to say to Ric but Damon moved to her and pushed her to the water. Elena screamed and fell in the water.

"Going training, huh?" Ashley asked Alaric from behind and Alaric turned to Damon.

"Why the hell did you brought her with you?" Alaric asked Damon but Ashley was the one to reply.

"Because you're dumb enough to come with Elena here and risk your life."

"Damon! How are you even here?" Elena asked Damon as soon as she got out of the water.

"Thanks for the tip, brother." Damon thanked Alaric, indicating that Ric called him. Elena looked at Alarc, disappointed.

"You sold me out!" Elena whined and Ashley rolled her eyes.

"Of course he did you idiot, he doesn't want to risk his life to find your one true love for the hour." Ashley snapped back at Elena.

"No need to be rude, Ashley." Alaric told her.

"I'm being honest, not rude." Ashley pointed out placing her hand on her hips. Elena still was in the water looking up to the other three. "Now guys, come on. We have a long journey ahead of us."

"No." Elena shouted and Ashley curled up her mouth in a snarl. Elena was getting on her nerves.

"Get out of the water, Elena." Damon told her.

"If I get out of the water, you're gonna make me go home." Elena pointed out.

"Idiots." Ashley mumbled under her breath.

"Yes, because I'm not an idiot like you." Damon shot back at Elena.

"Right now, you're both acting like idiots." Alaric said and Ashley nodded her head.

"You gave up on him Damon." Elena reminded him and Damon looked down for split moment.

"I didn't give up on him, Elena. I faced reality. Now get out of the water." Damon told her.

"No!" Elena shouted.

"What's your big plan, Elena? Huh? You gonna walk through a campsite full of werewolves, roast a marshmallow, and wait for Stefan to stop by?" damon jumped down and walked into the water. Ashley couldn't hear what they were saying and really she didn't want to hear but in the end she was the only one who wanted to leave seeing as Damon agreed to look for Stefan too.

"I'm surrounded by idiots." Ashley said bitterly and walked away the first one, the others trailing behind her.

* * *

They were still walking and both Elena and Ashley were tired of walking.

"How you doing?" Damon asked Elena.

"Fine." Elena replied clearly angry at him. Ashley started to hum a song as she walked. She zoned out of the conversation between Elena and Damon. She was too concentrated to keep bugs out of her mouth and nose and not to trip. She was interrupted by Damon who said something to her.

"Do you need a lift?" Damon asked her and Ashley looked up at him.

"I can't talk I'm trying to keep the bugs out of my mouth." Ashley informed Damon. She paused for a moment and looked at Damon. "I'm jumping in your back because girls like shouldn't touch the ground." Elena snorted at Ashley's words but Ashley ignored her. Ashley hopped in Damon's back.

"Don't touch her in the back." Alaric warned Damon.

"Even if he tried, I would have cut him." Ashley pointed out and they kept walking. "You know, all this time I've been wondering something." Ashley randomly said.

"What is that, princess?" Damon asked and Ashley hit him in the back. "What was that for?"

"If I was something royal, I would have been a Queen. 2. Never interrupt me. 3. I forgot what was I going to tell you guys."

"Classic Ashley." Alaric muttered and Ashley shot him a glare.

"I heard that!" Ashley told him.

"You were supposed to heard that." Damon pointed out.

"And you were supposed that mouth for a second." Ashley snapped at him, making Elena and Alaric roll their eyes.

"Nobody told me to do that." Damon shot back at her.

"Well, now is the time for you to shut up. Or you can just flatter me and boost my ego."

"Okay, then. Ashley Saltzman is a smart girl." Damon finished his sentence.

"And?" Ashley asked him.

"That was it." Damon replied to her and Ashley gaped at him.

"You forgot my other incredibly awesome traits."

"Like?"

"And I thought Elena and Damon were acting like kids." Alaric mumbled as the other three followed him behind. None of them knew that from a far distance Stefan Salvatore was hearing them.

* * *

It had been a while. None of them didn't talk, the only sound was Ashley humming a song of Beyonce. By now the sun was setting. Ashley got off Damon's back and now she was walking like the others.

"We got about a mile left." Alaric informed the other three.

"The sun's about to set." Damon pointed the words to Elena, trying to tell he that they should go.

"I can see that." Elena retorted back at Damon.

"You know if Alaric wasn't here, I wouldn't even come. Who is that stupid to go in a mountain full of werewolves. I don't know Stefan personally but hearing about him from you Elena most of the time, he wouldn't be happy for us to risk our precious lives-" Ashley stopped herself when she heard some twigs snapping and she wasn't the only one to hear. Just then a blonde man came out of the bushes towards them, Alaric fastly pointed the weapon to the guy.

"Stay where you are!" Alaric told the man sternly. The man noticed something strange and immediately shouted.

"Vampire!" He lunged over Damon and they started to fight. Suddenly the man had Damon up against a tree. Alaric shot an arrow at him but the man was to distracted trying to bite Damon. Elena took a wolfsbane grenade from her bag and threw it to Damon.

"Damon!" After she said that Damon caught the grenade and threw it to the man's face. Ashley squinted her eyes in disgust. She was still getting used to the supernatural world disgusting side. The man fell in the floor as the wolfsbane burned his face. Damon kicked him in the stomach leaving him unconscious.

"Let me guess. Hybrid." Alaric guessed earning a nod from Damon. Ashley moved closer to the hybrid before her. She pursued her lips for a minute.

"That was awesome!" She exclaimed earning an eye roll from the others. "My first encounter with a hybrid."

"Come on Raven-Haired Buffy." Damon nudged her a little away. Ashley turned to him with a raised eyebrow.

"Really Raven-Haired Buffy?" Damon smirked at her.

"It's that or Little Saltzman?" Ashley sighed but she had to choose one. She scoffed.

"Okay, go with the Buffy one. She's a badass." Ashley walked to her uncle and Elena to help while Damon watched her walk. He smirked and shook his head.

* * *

Ashley and the others by now we're trying to tie the hybrid against a tree. Ashley got some ropes and spiked them with vervain.

"These ropes aren't gonna hold him much longer. What else do we have?" Damon asked the girls.

"Ric, here. Take these." Ashley was about to give Alaric the ropes but Damon reached for them instead. After he touched them, his skin started to burn.

"Ahh! Ow!" Damon screamed a little and turned to look at Ashley.

"I said Ric." She pointed out defensively. Alaric reached for the ropes and started to tie Ray.

"All right, that's the last of the vervain. We don't have enough stuff to hold him. I don't think we're gonna make that Ridge before the full moon." Alaric explained to them and Ashley just nodded her head.

"We can run." She head to leave the place but Elena wasn't going anywhere.

"If we can get him to talk, we don't have to." Elena moved towards Ray. She touched his face making Ashley look at her in confused way. Suddenly Ray opened his eyes and Elena took a step back. Ray started to scream and they something crack.

"Are his bones breaking?" Ashley asked backing way. She was freaked out by the situation.

"Is he turning?" Damon asked and Ashley started to get more confused by the moment.

"I thought werewolves were supposed to turn in night." Ashley stated dumbfounded by the situation.

"Tell him that." Alaric told them. Damon moved closer to the hybrid and held his shoulders but it wasn't working at all. Ashley bit her lip nervous.

"There aren't supposed to be werewolves out here until the moon is full." Elena spoke up and Ashley started to panic.

"Why are we stupid to come in a place full of werewolves?" Ashley mumbled to herself. She was clearly worried, nervous and angry.

"You know, those ropes aren't gonna hold the wolf." Alaric reminded them. Ray started to scream and to snarl as his bones were breaking. Ashley flinched as she heard the noise of the bones starting to break.

"Damon, we've got to get out of here. We gotta get out of these mountains now! Damon, now!" Elena protested and the four them began to run. Ashley began to curse as she ran. She always hated to run.

* * *

It was night by now and the full moon was up in the sky. It was too dark and they could barely see. But none of them stopped to run, suddenly Elena tripped. The other three stopped and looked behind her just to be left shocked by the sight of what they were seeing.

"Don't move." Damon told Elena and she raised her head just to meet eyes with a wolf. Ashley stared at the creature in fear but with interest too. Elena gasped a little but she didn't move. "Here, doggie, doggie." Damon said to earn the wolf's attention which he got. Damon ran with vamp-speed and was followed by the wolf.

"Come on. Let's keep moving." Alaric instructed the girls but Elena didn't move at all.

"We can't leave Damon." Elena protested earning an eye roll from Ashley.

"Elena, we may risk our own life." Ashley pointed out and began walking but Elena still didn't move.

"No. If he gets bit, he'll be dead. I'm the reason he's out here." Elena pointed out and Ashley turned to look at her.

"And when you get Stefan, you can remind him that you're the reason his brother is dead." Ashley snapped without thinking hurting Elena but she clearly didn't care.

"In fact, it's my fault-" Alaric began to say but Ashley cut him off.

"Don't take the blame." Ashley told him and turned to look at Elena. "Differently from Damon, I didn't came to save you ass. I came here to be sure that my uncle is safe. And me and him will walk away and you'll be better follow us. It's your choice." Ashley began to walk and she was followed by Alaric. Elena stood there for a couple of seconds but she chose to follow them too. Ashley smiled in triumph as she lead them out of the woods. But little did she know, that deep down she cared if Damon was okay not or as much Elena and Alaric did but she still didn't know it. They kept walking until they arrived at Alaric's car which they waited for Damon to come. They were inside of it. Elena and Alaric were sitting on the front while Ashley was resting on the back of the car.

"Stefan's out there somewhere and now Damon, and we're just sitting in this car?" Elena asked again and Ashley bit her lip to hold her anger. Luckily, Alaric was the one to talk first.

"Let the vampires fight the hybrid zombie mountain man. I'll take care of keeping the humans safe." Alaric replied to Elena.

"I thought you were checked out of taking care of people. Expect Ashley." Elena pointed out earning Ashley's full attention of the other two attention.

"I know what you're doing. Don't. There doesn't need to be a lesson here." Alaric told Elena.

"You're better at it than you think, you know?" Ashley for the first time agreed to Elena's words. In fact, it was the first time she agreed to Elena.

"Oh, boy, are you a sucker for a lost cause or what?" Alaric asked and it kinda sound it like a joke. Ashley decided to speak up.

"You're not a lost cause, Ric. You are lost, just like we all are." Alaric turned to look at his niece. "I think that Elena and Jeremy need you because you are the closest thing that they have to a family. They need you... In fact, them and me need you. We are all good for each-other. Plus, caring for the other people runs into Satzman genes but it got lost to me." Alaric smiled at her.

"I'm keeping the ring, then." Alaric informed Elena but before anyone could say something, they saw Damon walking towards the car.

"Damon?" Elena got out of the car and immediately went towards Damon. "Are you okay? Did you...?" Damon interrupted her.

"Fine, bite-free. Get back in the car, please." Damon started to push her against the car.

"Can you just give me a minute to appreciate that you're not dead?" Elena asked Damon and Ashley raised an eyebrow at this.

"I'll give you 10 seconds. 9, 8..." Damon began to count as Ashley smiled at him. Damon caught Elena by her shoulders and marched her over the car. "Buffy, do you remember where I let my car?" Ashley just nodded her head and got out of the car. Her eyes caught something. A man in fact. She couldn't see clearly but she saw that he had dirty blonde hair and he was looking at Elena. She figured it out it was Stefan. She didn't say anything. Elena followed her line of vision but no one was there. Stefan had disappeared. Ashley got out of the car and walked with Damon to his car.

"I saw Stefan." She stated and Damon looked at her. "He was standing in the dark looking at Elena. He still has his humanity."

"You got that in seconds?" Damon asked full of disbelief.

"I've become so paranoid that I'm thinking that I'm telepathic." Damon shook his head at her joke. "You saw him too, didn't you? You talked to him." Damon nodded his head and Ashley looked at him doubtfully. "And now?"

"He's my family. You don't give up on family." Damon walked towards to his car while Ashley just smiled at him. She then went inside of the car too.

* * *

Ashley and Alaric had arrived at Alaric's apartment and he decided to move to the Gilbert house again, seeing that the Jeremy and Elena needed him.

"Are you sure it's fine for me to go?" Alaric asked and Ashley just nodded her head. Alaric sighed and looked at her. "You have the caring genes of a Saltzman too but you've gone through too much and now you're afraid to let someone in so you act hostile and mean. That's how your father acted after we lost our father but then when he met your mother he changed and became the real him. They were so much in love with each-other." Ashley eyes teared up at the mention of her parents and Alaric walked over to her. "Hey, don't cry. I promised your dad that I won't let you cry and I already let you once." Ashley wiped her tears and sniffed. "You look so much like him that it hurts looking at you sometimes to tell you the truth." Alaric wrapped his arms around his niece and she did the same.

"Neither of them deserved to die." Ashley's voice cracked a little and Alaric pulled away from the hug.

"Many people don't deserve to die but that is life. It's the most cruel thing ever but at the same time the most valuable thing ever." Alaric sighed and walked to his back. "Are you sure?" He asked about going to the Gilbert's but yet he still got a nod from her.

"I'm going to watch Grey's Anatomy either way." Alaric smiled at her as he walked away from the room. Ashley watched as he walked away from the apartment. After he closed the door, Ashley wiped the reaming of the tears and walked to her bedroom. She stopped as she looked at a picture. It was her mom, dad and her. Her dad was holding her with one hand and his other arm was wrapped around her mother. All of them looked happy even her and she was two years old in that picture. She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. She took a deep breath to prevent herself from crying and walked to her T.V. She took her CD of Grey's Anatomy: Season Six and began to watch. She laid in her bed and watched the show. She laughed, she cried and she got angry etc. This show always made her experience all her emotions in one episode.

* * *

 _ **Here's chapter four. I know that it's been two months since I updated but school is keeping me to busy write. I hope you guys enjoy the update and thanks for all the favorites and follows.**_

 _ **sycoticprince19:**_ Thank you very much and I'm glad that you like Ashley. She will be having a lot of fights with Elena and it will be something like a feud in a near future. I'm glad that she made you happy. I'm really excited to write her interactions with other characters. Many of her meeting with the other character will be funny especially with Klaus. Damon and Ashley will began to interact more and more. They will form a strong friendships in these chapters that it will turn to something more in the later chapters.

 ** _adela:_** Yeah, things will change and it's going to become more excited and dramatic plus funny.

 ** _NicoleR85:_** I'm so happy that you love Ashley. Yeah and she will be the one to probably shut everyone up and of course Elena. Here's the late update.

 ** _Guest:_** Thanks.

 _ **XTheSecretDiaries:**_ I'm glad that you love the story, I hope you won't lose the interest.

 _ **P.S. For the ones who read Nobody Said It Was Easy, I'm going to re-write the chapters and then I'm going to update it. It may take a while but y**_ **ou need to wait for it.**


	5. The End of The Affair

_**Sorry for the late update but school is keeping me busy. I hope you guys enjoy the update.**_

 ** _DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE VAMPIRE DIARIES, I JUST OWN MY CHARACTERS AND THEIR STORY LINES._**

* * *

Ashley was cooking herself breakfast when she heard the doorbell rang. She stopped for a moment and groaned knowing who it was. She dragged herself to the door and opened it slowly. And she was right. There was Damon Salvatore standing with his trademark smirk. Ashley gave him a look but he ignored her walking to her apartment. She rolled her eyes and turned to look at him.

"Mhm... I smell bacon." Damon pointed out and turned to look at the girl in front of him. "Nice PJs." He joked and she shot him a bitter smile. She shut the door and walked to the kitchen an continued to cook. She felt Damon coming near her and looking what she was doing.

"What are you doing here?" Ashley asked Damon as he leaned against one of the counters.

"I'm going to windy city and I want you to come with us." Damon replied and Ashley looked up to him.

"Us, you mean Elena and you. My answer is no. Because I don't think I have a place in your car because of your cockiness and Elena's self-righteousness." Ashley snapped at Damon and he pursued his lips like he awaited her response.

"Come on, I need my new partner in crime. Ric has become too boring. Come on, Buffy." Ashley rolled her eyes and looked at him. He started to do the puppy dog eyes at her. She tried to say no but the look got the best of her.

"Fine, I'll come. Just let me eat breakfast and get dressed." Damon nodded his head and walked away from the kitchen. "Meet me at the Gilbert's." And with that he closed the door of the apartment. Ashley sighed and continued her cooking.

After she ate, she went to her bedroom and grabbed a cropped black shirt and some jeans. She then wore some black sneakers. She straightened her hair a little and put on some make-up. She grabbed her phone and earphones in case she needed it which she was sure of. She walked out of the room and then went to the living room. She looked around and then left the apartment.

She decided to walk to the Gilbert house and she noticed that the streets were empty. She kept walking looking at the quiet tow Mystic Falls looked it was but she knew that a town full of vampires, werewolves and witches can't be a quiet one. Still, the town looked normal. After a while she arrived to the Gilbert house, just to see that Damon and Elena were waiting for her. They were talking about something and Elena looked pretty angry. Ashley figured that Elena didn't want her to come which made Ashley want to come more. She cleared her throat when she neared them making the two others finish their argument.

"Good morning, Elena." Ashley greeted and Elena smiled at her which was clearly fake. Ashley smiled a little before she got closer to the car. "I call shotgun." Elena scoffed and Damon chuckled a little knowing that Elena wanted to sit on the passenger's seat.

* * *

Damon was driving through the highway to Chicago while Elena and Ashley sat there in quiet. Ashley looked through the window as they drove. Damon couldn't stand the silence so he decided to speak up.

"I sure hope we find him, 'cause it would suck if the last memento of Stefan was that crappy old necklace." Damon commented making Ashley look at him. Elena looked down and touched the necklace that Stefan had given to her to protect her from vampires, at that time Damon.

"It's an antique, Damon. Like you." Elena snapped at him making Ashley snicker at the joke.

"Good one, Elena." Ashley admitted while Damon was glaring at her. Damon extended his hand in the back and grabbed a diary from the back. The girls looked at him and the diary he was holding.

"Read this. Paints a pretty little picture of Stefan's first experience in Chicago." Damon told Elena but she shook her head in disagreement.

"It's Stefan's diary. I'm not going to invade his private thoughts."

"You need to be prepared for what you're about to see." Damon reminded Elena and Ashley immediately thought about the bar in Kentucky which Damon had to burn.

"I've seen Stefan in his darkest periods. I can handle it." Elena had no idea what was she talking making Ashley snatch the diary from Damon's hands. She opened the diary and looked at a page.

"Here's one. March 12, 1922." Ashley said as she cleared her throat to a manly voice. ""I've blacked out days. I wake up in strangers' blood. In places I don't recognize. With women I don't remember."" Damon looked at Elena making Ashley stop.

"Ahh! I'm shocked! Stefan's not a virgin?" Damon joked making Ashley chuckle a little. Elena snatched the diary out of Ashley's hands making Ashley scoff at her.

"Eyes on the road, grandma." Elena told Damon making him look at the road. Elena looked at the diary with hesitation.

" Fine. Back to my game. Tell me if you see a Florida plate." Damon said and Ashley began to look for a Florida plate. Elena seeing that the two others were too distracted she began to read the diary.

* * *

Damon had stopped the car because Elena had to go to the bathroom. They stopped at the nearest gas station, Elena had already went to the bathroom leaving the other two in the car.

"You tease Stefan a lot, don't you?" Ashley asked which she got a simple nod from Damon. "I wish I had younger siblings to make fun of."

"Is it boring being an only child? Because sometimes when I fought with Stefan, that was all I wanted." Damon asked her and this time Ashley gave him a nod.

"Yeah, it's pretty boring. You don't have anyone to play or share secrets with. It's like it's me against the world no one standing beside me." Ashley replied to him. Damon looked at the beautiful girl next to him. He could see that subject made her sad and he kinda hated to see her sad. It didn't suit her. "But there are positives too. I always got what I wanted." Damon chuckled at her words.

"You're really something, Little Saltzman." Damon commented making her smile proudly.

"It's not the first time I heard that." Her voice dripped confidence like always making Damon smirk at her. "When will we arrive there?"

"In couple of hours." Damon replied to her and she nodded her head.

"I've never been to Chicago or any place for that matter. I only have been in L.A and Mystic Falls."

"What an excited life!" Damon joked making her nudge him. He chuckled at her and then looked at her. "Don't forget I took you to Kentucky and Tennessee."

"Yeah but we were in a bar in the middle of nowhere or a mountain." Ashley pointed out and he shrugged.

"And today, I'm taking you to Chicago. And maybe someday in New-York, then Paris-" Ashley cut him off.

"Promise?" She asked with a suspicious look and he smirked at her.

"I promise." Damon said making Ashley smiled. Neither of them saw Elena stand a couple meters away looking at them with a feeling she hated to admit it. Jealousy. She could feel that there was something going on between them and neither Ashley or Damon knew about it. After standing there watching them, Elena decided to get in the car.

* * *

They had arrived in Chicago and now they were walking in the streets going to an apartment building when Stefan used to reside back in the 20s. Damon was leading the two other girls who were looking behind him at the big city around them. Ashley was about to ask Damon but a really familiar voice cut her off.

"Poo-Bear!" She turned to look back an there she was Hanna Erikson smiling down at her just a little steps away. Ashley looked at the beautiful blonde in front of her.

"Hanna!" Ashley exclaimed just as loud as her best friend. She ran to hug her and wrapped her arms around her by jumping. Hanna giggled at her best friend. Damon and Elena looked at each-other clearly confused of what was going on. They decided to walk closer to the reunited friends.

"What are you doing here?" Hanna asked as they pulled away from the hug. Ashley smiled to her best friend.

"Just came here with two of my friends." She turned around to look at Damon and Elena. "Damon and Elena." Hanna looked at them and she was taken back by Damon's look. She leaned and whispered to Ashley's ear.

"He's hot." Ashley knowing he was hearing looked at him and saw him smirk. Hanna smiled wickedly looking between Damon and Ashley. "Are you guys dating?" Ashley gave her a confused look.

"In his dreams." Ashley replied immediately making Hanna raise an eyebrow.

"Like you haven't dream of it too?" Damon teased her making Ashley roll her eyes. Hanna laughed at their banter for a moment.

"I'm Hanna by the way." She said with a smile which both Elena and Damon returned. "And I'm going to steal this girl fro you for a couple of hours." Ashley smiled at her and Hanna put an arm around her.

"Okay. I'll call you to tell you where to meet us." Ashley nodded her head at Damon's words and Elena and Damon walked away from them. Ashley looked at them until they turned to another street. She then looked to her best friend who was smiling with happiness and joy.

* * *

The girls went to eat in a restaurant. They sat on one of the tables and began to talk. The place was full, so Hanna was trying to call the waiter.

"What are you doing Chicago?" Ashley asked Hanna as she gave up to call the waiter.

"My mom is living here with her boyfriend and I decided to stay here here before I went to New York." Hanna replied to her question earning a curt nod from Ashley. Hanna's parents got divorced when they were only thirteen years old. It was hard on Hanna at first but now she was all cool with it. "How about you?"

"Mystic Falls is a boring town but there are many good friends that I've got and Ric is awesome like always." Ashley replied and Hanna looked down for a moment.

"Why don't you come live in New York with me?" Hanna asked and Ashley sighed at the answer. It wasn't the first time that Hanna asked this question and she always got the same answer.

"Han, I need to stay in Mystic Falls because I need Ric and I know that he needs me. And you're going to have a good time in new York, you're going to make a name after yourself and you're going to find a guy that will sweep you off your feet like you dreamed when we were little girls." Hanna giggled at that remembering their childhoods together.

"Why don't you let a guy sweep you off your feet?" Hanna teased Ashley and she rolled her eyes.

"I got too much in my life right now and a guy will make me go nuts. The drugs, Nate and mom dying really got me this couple of two years and I need to have a simple life." She explained to Hanna who nodded her head. "It gets harder sometimes but Ric is there and he helps me with this whole thing. Plus, I'm taking boxing and martial art to control my temper."

"How about your bitchiness?" Hanna asked making Ashley glare at her. "You're still the biggest bitch I've ever met and you need to control that."

"Whatever, hater." Ashley joked making Hanna roll her eyes. The waiter came and took their orders but he didn't leave without getting a complain by both of the girls for being late.

"That Damon guy is hot and you guys have a good chemistry." Ashley let the biggest scoff she could ever let about Hanna's statement.

"First of all, he's an cocky jackass. Second, I have a chemistry with even a brick. Third, he's Ric best friend. Fourth, as if." Hanna laughed at her friend's words. "Fifth, he's totally in love with that Elena girl who is his brother girl." Hanna gasped in shock.

"Mystic Falls has some drama." Hanna stated as Ashley let out "You have no idea" mumble. "Either way, you should just try. See if something is there."

"Why are you hell bent with that?" Hanna shrugged her shoulders. The waiter came with their orders and put it on their table.

"I just want to see you with a person who is as cocky as you. See who wins "I'm more awesome" fights." Ashley gave her a look which she got an innocent smile from Hanna.

"You're a weirdo." Ashley commented eating a fry. Hanna just smiled at her best friend.

* * *

Damon had called Ashley to meet them outside of a place called Gloria's. The girls finally arrived and saw Elena in the car while Damon was leaning against it waiting for her. They stopped and Ashley turned around to face her blonde best friend who eyes began to water.

"You know how much I hate goodbyes." Hanna admitted to her best friends and Ashley gave her a small smile. Hanna wrapped her arms around her best friend and so did Ashley after a couple of minutes.

"This isn't a goodbye. I can come to New York and you can come to Mystic Falls." Ashley whispered as they hugged. When they pulled away, Hanna whipped her tears as she nodded her head.

"Love you, Poo-Bear." Hanna voice cracked a little. Ashley tried not to tear up.

"I love you too, Hanna Banana." Hanna smiled and they hugged one last time. Ashley walked to the as Hanna stood there looking at her. She looked back to her friend who waved at her. Emily mimicked the gesture and both her and Damon got in the car. Damon started the engine and started to drive. The car drove off as Ashley looked at her best friend one last time. Damon looked at both of the girls in his car. One just broke up with her boyfriend who happens to be his brother and the other one just parted away from her best friend.

Hanna watched as her best friend drove off and sighed. She knew that she will miss Ashley so much. She turned around and saw the sign "Gloria's". She looked at it and then she took her purse just to see that she got her fake I.D. She decided to get in the bar. She walked inside and dragged herself to the bar. She sat on one of the stools. The bar was empty it was just her and a guy who sat a few stools away from her. A woman came and looked at the girl who didn't look to be 21.

"I.D. please." The woman asked and Hanna groaned either way she gave her the I.D. The woman looked at it and gave it back to her.

"Vodka on the rocks." Hanna ordered and the woman went to get it. Hanna sighed and put the I.D in her purse again.

"Bad day, love?" She heard a British accent. She looked other way to see the man who was sitting a few bar stools away from her. And God, he was gorgeous. He had curled dirty blond hair and dark blue eyes. His skin was pearl-white and he was well-built. Hanna was speechless for a moment but she came to her senses.

"Pretty much, yeah." She admitted as the woman came with her drink. "You too?" The man nodded his head and Hanna lifted her hand with her drink. "Cheers then." The man took his drink and they clinked their glasses and they took a swing at it. The man eyed Hanna carefully as he admired her beauty.

"What is your name, love?" The British man asked and Hanna smiled a little.

"Hanna." She responded with a charming smile. "Yours?"

"Nik." He replied and smiled a little making Hanna blush a little. Maybe she had found the guy who could sweep her off her feet.

* * *

The journey home had been a long and silent one. none of them talked they just minded their own business. Elena sulked, Damon drove while Ashley listened to music. Damon dropped off Elena first and she got out without saying a simple goodbye. He then drove Ashley to her apartment.

"Are you okay?" He asked her and she shook her head. Damon looked at her carefully as she took her earphones.

"I just didn't want things to change." Ashley admitted as she ran a hand through her hair.

"Sometimes change seems like a bad thing but then it gets better. Trust me, I've dealt with change in my entire life and now I look that is better to change even if you lose someone you love. You grow up by changing and so do other people. That's just the circle of life." Damon told Ashley and she looked at him seriously. For the first time, he didn't make a dirty joke or a witty remark. He was honest to her which she liked it a lot. She smiled at him.

"You could be a therapist." She commented making Damon snicker a little. He looked at the beautiful dark haired girl standing beside him as she smiled at him.

"And you are in desperate need of one." Damon commented making her roll he eyes. She then looked at him and their eyes locked for a minute before they both looked away.

"I don't need a therapist, I need food to help me calm down." Ashley stated and Damon looked at her.

"And you know what I need." Ashley looked at him waiting for an answer. "Blood." He neared her which made her push him away. He chuckled as she furrowed her eyebrows.

"You're disgusting." She said as she got out of the car.

"And you like it." Damon pointed out as he saw her walk to the other side of the car. She leaned by the window and looked at him.

"As if." Those were the last words before she walked away from him. Damon smirked a little as he saw her get in the building. His smirk stood as he drove off to the boarding house.

* * *

 _ **It has been a while since I last updated but school is a pain in the ass and I really don't have time. I will update as soon as I can. Maybe the next update will be in the beginning of April but I'm not sure of it. Either way, I hope you enjoy this chapter an I'm sorry that is shorter than usual. And tell me what do you think about Hanna?**_

 _ **NicoleR85:**_ Elena started to annoy me this season me too. She basically manipulated everyone and Ashley doesn't buy her innocent and goodie-two-shoe act at all. Here is the update I hope you enjoy it.

 _ **adela:**_ I'm glad you liked the way Ashley and Damon worked together. They will be partner in crimes most of the time which will be funny. I haven't decided what I'm going to do in 3x19 yet because considering that time Alaric is in a really bad condition but I'll take your idea as a consideration.

 _ **Thank you for the favorites and follows. Love you guys.**_


	6. Disturbing Behavior

**_I'm updating the story earlier because I have many good ideas for this chapter and I couldn't handle without writing them as fast as I can._**

 ** _DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE VAMPIRE DIARIES, I JUST OWN MY CHARACTERS AND THEIR STORY LINES._**

* * *

"Why did get this job?" Ashley muttered as she was cleaning the tables of the Grill. Today was something like a Founder's Party and she had to be in the Grill for the whole day. The Grill was empty now because it was early in the day but she knew it will be buzzing later. She saw that Matt was here too cleaning the other tables.

"Today will be a long day." Matt informed her and she nodded her head knowing it. "The Grill will be full."

"What's the point of all these Founder's Party?" Ashley asked as she cleaned one of the tables. Matt shrugged his shoulder in response. She remembered that he wasn't a Founding Family. "I think the Mayor just loves to do all these things in my opinion." Matt nodded his head in agreement.

"We have so many parties, it's boring and really monotone." Matt told Ashley and she smiled a little. "And in this party everyone is going to bring chili."

"Chili?" Ashley asked and Matt nodded his head.

"When we finish our shifts, we should go and ask everyone what did they bring and everyone will say chili. It's like a tradition." Matt explained to her and she furrowed her eyebrows.

"This town is really traditional. Making chili, hosting parties and killing vampires since 1864." Ashley pointed out and Matt snickered a little. "It feels so weird being normal in this town."

"Yeah, like the only human population of Mystic Falls are me and you when we hang with the gang." Matt added and Ashley puckered her lips a little.

"The Scooby gang. Like in Buffy, The Vampire Slayer." Ashley said and Matt smiled agreeing with the beautiful dark haired girl next to him. "Damon is Spike, Stefan is Angel, Jeremy is Oz, that Bonnie girl is Willow, Caroline is Cordelia, I don't think Elena can be Buffy because Buffy is a bad-ass, Xander is Tyler. Still leaves me and you buddy."

"You are Buffy. You do boxing and martial arts and I've heard Damon call you Buffy." Ashley scoffed remembering Damon calling her too many nicknames for her to remember one from all of them.

"Donovan and Saltzman, get back in cleaning the tables." The manager shouted at them making them roll their eyes at his orders but either way they continued cleaning the rest of the tables. After she finished cleaning the tables, she had to go clean the bar. She heard the door opening and some costumers coming in. She grabbed a pen and one of her notebooks to take their orders. The people were a young couple the girl was redhead and the boy was dark-haired. She rushed to take orders for them.

"Hi, I'm Ashley. Your waitress. What would you like to order?" Ashley smiled like she always did when she asked people what did they want. Her smile was fake. The couple ordered and Ashley went to the kitchen to tell them what they ordered. Then she went to the bar and took their drinks. She went to their tables and gave them their drinks. She then told them at their food will come quick. A little after she walked away, some other people entered the Grill and sitting in her section.

"It's going to be a long day." She muttered as she walked to her next costumers.

* * *

Ashley was getting off her uniform as her shift had ended a couple of minutes ago. She changed to a summer dress which was white with black details. Some black heels and A black cardigan. She closed her locker and got out of the room. The Grill was full but she didn't have to worry about that as she was leaving. She walked out of the Grill and went to the Lockwood Mansion for the party. She was only invited as Alaric's niece and she had to be nice to come. She looked around to see that the whole town had shown up and she couldn't handle but roll her eyes. She then saw Matt who was a few feet away from her. His shift had ended too. Matt saw her come near him and he spoke up.

"See." He motioned to the table who was a few feet away from them. "Everybody brought chili like I predicted." Ashley laughed and patted Matt's shoulder. Matt then spotted his friends from high school who motioned him to come over.

"You can go. I don't want to go to some high on steroids jocks drool over my hot body." Matt laughed as he walked away from her. Ashley smiled as she saw her blonde friend walk away from her. She turned around just to be scared by the blue-eyed vampire who she knew as the cocky jackass.

"Boo!" He said making her jump a little. He smirked as he saw the girl try to catch her breath.

"That's not funny." She pointed out hitting him in the chest and he rolled his eyes.

"I find it really comedic btw." Ashley glared at him as he eyed her from up and down. He wiggled his eyebrows making her raise hers. "This look. 'I'm a good girl' look suits you. Really suits."

"Try to control your drool, Damon." She teased him and smiled innocently. "So, what did Elena bring in this?"

"Chili. Like everybody." Damon replied and she scoffed a little.

"You're right about that." She said as she watched some people bring chili. "This town is too boring for my taste."

"Mine too." Damon added as they looked around. "But I'm glad to have a hot girl beside me." Ashley rolled her eyes but she couldn't help but smile a little. "And with a nice behind." Ashley gaped at him and hit him in the chest again.

"Ouch!" Damon said sarcastically making Ashley scoff at him. She began to walk away from him but Damon followed her either way. He looked at her ass making her turn around to face him.

"Stop looking at my ass!" She told him angrily making him smirk at her.

"Sorry, can't help but admire it." Damon pointed out making her pursue her lips and narrow her eyes at him. Damon's smirk didn't disappear at all.

"You make me want to whip that stupid smirk of your out of your stupid face." Ashley snapped and Damon gave her a look.

"Because you like it so much." Damon teased her and she smiled a little.

"Yeah, Damon because I think of your face every night before I go to bed and I hope someday you'll be laying with me and we could live happily ever after." She said in children voice making Damon chuckle a little.

"Well, I don't lay that much in bed. I do other things. Maybe you'll love them too." Ashley was sure that she rolled her eyes more than actually talking to him.

"In your dreams." She told him for the hundred time. He caught her arm and pulled her close to him making her gasp.

"We vampires make dreams come true." Damon flirted with her and she smiled a little.

"Well, you can try but it won't work." Ashley stated confidently and Damon smirked at her.

"You have no idea how many girls have said that but in the end they always came back to me." Damon pointed out.

"Yeah, I don't think I'm the only one turning you down." She was looking behind her back. Caroline, Elena and a olive tanned girl who she assumed was Bonnie were looking at them. Damon turned around and waved at the three girls. Then he remembered what Ashley said and his eyes landed on Elena. She looked at him suspiciously and something he couldn't put a finger on. "Or not because she sure looks jealous to me." The words Ashley said made Damon suspicious. He noticed that Ashley walked away from him and he looked away then he decided to walk away in a different direction that Ashley walked.

The three girls who were sitting in a looked at the other two. Elena was sure that there is something going on between them and she hated it. Caroline and Bonnie didn't see it that much considering that Damon flirted with every girl he laid eyes on but Elena couldn't help but feel jealous about it. And Caroline couldn't help but notice it.

* * *

Ashley was sitting all alone in a bench when Alaric decided to join her. She looked up just to see him sitting down next to her. He kinda looked concerned and it really bugged her.

"What's wrong, Ric?" She asked calmly and he looked up to meet her dark brown eyes.

"Damon and Elena. There's something going on them." Ashley scoffed at him making him look away. "You were right from the beginning. Damon should stay away from her."

"Why are you blaming this on Damon? Elena is the one who he's in love with and she knows it. She doesn't need to use that." Alaric was about to say something but Ashley continued talking. "You guys don't see that she's not that innocent."

"Ash, why do you hate her so much? Are you jealous or something?" When Alaric said that Ashley's anger had risen more than she could handle it. She took a deep breath and got up from the bench.

"Yeah, I'm jealous that I can't play with two brothers, I'm jealous of her because I know I'm not the center of the world and I'm jealous because I can't be that fake in my entire life." Alaric looked at her niece who was almost tearing up. He knew that she would say something that would hurt him and she didn't let him down. "Or I'm jealous of the fact that my uncle likes her more than he likes me. His own flesh and blood." Alaric got up from the bench and walked towards her.

"Ashley, you know that I love you more than anyone in this world." Alaric told her but Ashley just shook her head and bit out a laugh.

"Well, you show it in funny ways sometimes." She snapped at him and walked away. Alaric called her name but she just kept walking. He gave up knowing it would be better to leave her alone. Ashley kept walking looking for a place with no people around. She stopped at a tree and tears came from her eyes. She supported her head against the tree as the tears came from her eyes. She sniffed as she whipped her tears off. She took a deep breath but the tears didn't stop. She supported her head against the tree as the tears didn't stop. She hated that she was crying for a stupid reason. She didn't need to spend her tears for that but they kept coming.

She started to regret coming to Mystic Falls instead of joining Hanna in New York. She whipped her tears and looked around when she saw some guy with pot in his hands. She kept looking at him and then the enjoyment that came with it flashed to her. She was hesitant for a second but then she rushed towards him. She was doing something she'll regret later but she didn't care at all. She needed it and she needed it right now. The guy stopped but Ashley just smiled at him.

"What's your name?" Ashley asked him giving him one of her charming smiles.

"Phil." He answered and Ashley sat next to him on the bench. He was clearly nervous and Ashley bit her lip a little.

"I saw what you have there, Phil. Mind if you share it with me?" The guy was left speechless and he started to stutter. Ashley moved her hand to his thigh making Phil more uncomfortable. "Come on, Phil!" The guy saw how Ashley's hand was going higher. "Maybe I can give you something in return." Ashley neared the guy making their lips nearly touch but she moved to his hear. "If you want it." Ashley moved a little away and then she felt Phil connect their lips together and she started to kiss him back. She was sure she would regret that later...

* * *

Riley got out of the girl's bathroom not believing that she had sex and had drugs. She was more than stoned and she was afraid if someone would see her. She was walking across the big property of the Lockwoods. She looked up and was met by stars that were shining the sky. Ashley looked at them and smiled a little.

"Ashley!" She heard her uncle's voice and she froze assuming he will notice that she was stoned. She turned around just to see him walking towards her. "Where have you been?"

"Around." Ashley replied while looking down. She was afraid that he will see that her eyes were red. "The property is really big. I got lost too many times."

"Ashley, I didn't mean to say those things." Alaric apologized and Ashley nodded her head. She rubbed her eyes not to look high and then she looked up.

"Don't worry, Ric. Let's just get because I'm hungry." She took Alaric's arm and pulled him with her. Alaric saw that something was wrong with her. They entered the mansion and Ashley moved to the food. She began to take everything that she saw in the table and eat it. Some people looked at her and she gave them a look.

"Buzz off." She told them with her mouth full and they moved away. Alaric looked at his niece warily as she took any food that appeared to her. He looked away and saw Caroline and Elena. He grabbed Ashley's arm but Ashley didn't leave without taking more food. They walked to the other girls and Alaric spoke up.

"Please tell me it's time to go." Alaric told Elena and both girls turned just to raise their eyebrows at Ashley who was still eating. Ashley looked up and smiled to them while they narrowed their eyes.

"Beyond. Where's Damon?" Elena replied to Alaric and then asked a question. Ashley shrugged her shoulders as she took the only food that she had in hand and ate it.

"Probably off somewhere doing bad things to good people. Consider me the honesty police." Caroline replied and Ashley was the one to raise an eyebrow at her and Elena eyed Ashley carefully. Caroline's mood changed as soon as she saw something.

"What is it?" Elena asked and Caroline looked down and then she decided to speak up.

"It's my dad." Caroline replied and the three other turned to see a man with blonde hair walk in the room.

"Why would he even show up here?" Elena asked and Ashley was confused not knowing what was going on.

"I don't know but I can't..." Caroline honestly replied as she moved a little away.

"I get it. I'll call you later." After Elena said that Caroline left and went upstairs. The other three began to walk away and leave the mansion.

"What was that all about?" A confused Ashley asked Elena.

"Speaking of doing bad things to good people..." Elena replied confusing Ashley more than she already was. Just then someone came from another door and they all looked to see Damon coming through it.

"Wait, wait, Houston, we have a problem." Damon told them and they all turned around.

"What's the problem?" Ashley asked with the most manly voice she could muster. Alaric gave her a look which made her look down.

"Where have you been?" Elena asked Damon as he walked closer to them.

"Managing Bill Forbes. Apparently he's impervious to compulsion." Damon replied to them leaving everyone in shock and Ashley way more confused.

"That's so cool. Do you think he can teach me that?" Everyone turned to look at a over-excited Ashley and they all gave her weird looks making her look down. Damon stared her the longest noticing something was wrong with her.

"How?" Alaric asked Damon and he shook his head.

"I have no idea. But he threatened to out me. Don't get me started on the irony of that." Damon replied and Ashley gaped just to make the moment more dramatic. Damon gave her a look earning a smile from her.

"What did you do to him? How do you know the compulsion doesn't work?" Elena asked Damon making him look away from Ashley.

"That's not the most important piece of information I mentioned, Elena." Damon replied to the brunette standing in front of him.

"What does he want?" Alaric asked and Damon turned to him.

"He wants to control the council. Says it's been compromised." Damon replied to Alaric making Ashley speak up.

"I thought it was." Ashley pointed out and then remembering that was the most normal thing she ever said on this conversation.

"He wants to put vervain in the town's water supply." Damon replied making everyone surprised. Ashley admitted that it was a good idea.

"Maybe it's not a bad idea. I mean, it'll help you keep yourself in control now that Stefan's not here to..." Elena began to say but Ashley interrupted her.

"Wait since when is Damon, Stefan's dog?" Ashley asked making Elena glare at her. Damon was angry at Elena's words so he snapped at her.

"To what? To keep me in check? Make me behave? I should have killed him this morning." Damon said making everyone start to worry.

"He's Caroline's dad, Damon." Elena reminded Damon and Ashley decided to butt in again.

"I think he knows that." Damon looked at her and then he saw her eyes. They were red and a little puffy and her behavior was odd. Ashley was high and he was sure of that but he didn't utter a word at all.

"Yeah, and when I kill him, she'll have one more parent than we do." Damon said to Elena as his eyes moved to her.

"Oh, come on, Damon!" Alaric told his best friend and Damon smirked.

"While you keep killing my buzz, look at your niece who is high." Damon finally told everyone. Alaric looked at Ashley who looked down. He looked at her but she kept looking down so he tilted her head up and saw that her eyes were red and he clearly saw that she was high.

All she could see was the disappointment on his eyes and it hurt Ashley so much that she was trying to hold the tears. Like he didn't have hope for her anymore. None of them noticed Damon leave not even Elena who looked between Ashley and Alaric. Alaric was silent as he looked at his niece who looked down again. Elena looked around to see Damon but he was nowhere to be found. She decided to find him and she left the two of them alone.

"I thought you were done with drugs after you went to rehab but look at you back at it again." Alaric finally spoke up and Ashley looked up to him.

"It helps me control my anger." Ashley replied to him shrugging her shoulders.

"Your father used to control his anger pretty fine." Alaric told her and she rolled her eyes a little.

"Well, I'm not my perfect father who had everything figured it out when he was only two year old. Ric, I'm really tired and I'm not in the mood for pep-talks or trips to memory lane." Ashley began to walk away but he caught her arm.

"Ash, I'm not letting you ruin yourself. You inspired me how you get rid of the addiction, don't let it start again." Ashley looked down as she didn't want to cry.

"I don't think I can. It has been a part of me for a long time. As much as I try to shake it off, I can't." She spoke up the truth and she hated how right Nate was. She had become addicted and she couldn't stop herself.

"You're better than this." Alaric told her and Ashley shook her head in disagreement.

"I may be the daughter of the perfect couple Adam and Violet but I'm nothing like them. Nothing." And with that she rushed to away from Alaric and he just stood there frozen and speechless as he saw his niece rush away.

* * *

Ashley arrived into her apartment and dragged herself inside. She closed the door and jumped in the couch. She kicked her heels and just laid there in the couch looking at the ceiling. She then decided to take a shower. She walked to the bathroom and stripped. She got in the shower and turned the hot water on. She let the water clean her body as she stretched her neck.

After she finished her shower, she went to her room and wore some clothes. She looked herself in the mirror and saw that she looked better. She still had a feeling that she was super pissed off about something. She went to the living room and saw the punching bag. She grabbed some punching gloves and then she walked to the bag. She took a deep breath and started to hit it. At first it was normal but as much as she got in her thoughts she began to hit the bag more and harder. She thought about everything. Her parents were gone, her best friends weren't here, Nate who was right, her life falling apart and her not knowing what to do with it. The punches began to slow down as Ashley broke in tears. She supported her head against the punching bag as tears ran through her cheeks. She fell on her knees and then curled herself tight as she supported her head against her knees. She stood there for minutes just crying and not sopping letting it all out.

After she cried for a couple of minutes Ashley got up and looked at the punching bag. She kept looking at it and then she kicked it. She was the daughter of Violet and Adam Saltzman, she could do it. She just had to believe to herself and get rid of her bad habits. She had to do it for her sake, Alaric's, her friends' and her grandparents'. She then punched the bag just once. She took a deep breath and then she punched the bag a couple of times. Then again she stopped. She thought that maybe all she needed to do was focus on herself and her future. She kicked the punching bag two times and the she stopped at kicking it.

She was sure now that she can do it by herself. Get rid of her bad habits, control her temper and live a happy life. She could make her parent proud that she knew they were looking at her from heave and Alaric too. She maybe wasn't perfect and she didn't want to be. She remembered that everyone has flaws and she had hers too. She could make her good side show more than her bad side. Just bu working on herself just a little bit more. Ashley smiled as she began to hit the punching bag. Now, she was sure that she found herself. In the most unpredictable way and time.

* * *

 _ **Here is the update and I hope you guys like it. The next chapter will be really exciting because Ashley will meet, Klaus and Stefan for the first time. It will be really interesting to write as I love the Originals and Stefan so much and I just want her to interact with them. Hope you guys enjoy this chapter.**_

 _ **galwidanatitud :**_ I'm glad you enjoy the story and Ashley. Here is the update and I hope you like it. :)

 _ **Gigi:**_ I'm glad you liked the chapter and I hope you like this one too. Damon and Ashley don't interact that much in this chapter but their interaction is interesting. I really like Hanna and she will join us soon but she won't appear in a long time.

 _ **Adela:**_ I'm glad you liked this one like you liked the others. Here it is! Hope you enjoy it

 _ **NicoleR85:**_ I'm glad you loved Hanna, we will see Hanna a lot in the upcoming chapters. Here is the update and I hope you enjoyed it.

 _ **P.S. Thank you for favoriting and following this story.**_


	7. The Reckoning

_**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE VAMPIRE DIARIES, I JUST OWN MY CHARACTERS AND THEIR STORY LINES.**_

* * *

The doorbell was ringing for five minutes but Ashley didn't move at all. She was sleeping on her bed and she covered her ears with her pillows. She finally let out a groan and got up from her bed. She opened the door of her apartment just to see her uncle there. Ashley scratched her eyes and pushed herself a little to let her uncle got in which he did. Ashley closed her door and then looked at her uncle.

"Ashley, we need to talk." His voice way too serious for Ashley to handle this early in the morning but either way she decided to talk to him because they needed it. They both sat on opposites sides of two different couches.

"I know what I did was wrong but that's my way of coping." Ashley replied and Ric scratched the back of his neck while looking down. Ashley leaned on the couch while Alaric looked up to his niece.

"You need to know that I love you, Ashley. More than anyone and I don't want to lose you especially to something like drugs." Alaric told her and Ashley straightened up to talk something.

"It was only pot." She came to her defense pointing a finger to her uncle who gave her a look.

"Either way, you're my niece and there is anyone else I love more. Not Elena or Jeremy. Yet I don't want you to throw your life away when it's ahead of you." Ashley looked down and sniffed a little. She kept telling herself not to cry because it was too early for that.

"I know Ric but I'm not perfect. I'm not my parents." She pointed out as she finally looked up to her uncle and he smiled a little.

"You need to know that nobody is perfect. Your parents made mistakes too but they decided to look ahead. You know your father was almost kicked out of school because they caught him smoking cigarette on school grounds." Ashley opened her mouth in surprise and Alaric chuckled a little. "It was his first time and a friend made him try it but it was still really a hard moment for Adam. He kinda was a drama queen." Ashley chuckled at her uncle's words and smiled a little.

"I think like I'm disappointing both of them every day." Ashley spoke out the truth and Alaric took her hand and held it tightly.

"You lost too much my dear niece and it's easier sometimes to do drugs but it's better to deal with it. And I know that an alcoholic is talking to you but still don't throw your life away. You're smart, beautiful and young girl. Enjoy it, don't ruin it." Ashley got up from her couch and went to hug her uncle. He smiled as he wrapped his arms around too.

"You need to lay off the booze." Ashley told him as she pulled away from the hug but he shook his head.

"Tomorrow it's the first day of school and tonight is senior prank night. I need something to keep me on track tomorrow." Alaric told her as he got up.

"Ugh, teenagers." Ashley winced at the thought of a school full with them.

"Technically, you still are one." Alaric pointed out and Ashley rolled her eyes at him.

"You probably don't remember when you were teenager because that was when dinosaurs still existed." Ashley joked making Alaric roll his eyes and glare at her a little.

"Don't be late for your shift." He reminded her and she just nodded her head. He smiled and opened the door to leave. After he left, Ashley decided to take a shower. She went to the bathroom and stripped off her clothes. She turned the hot water on and she got in. She let the water touch her body as she closed her eyes. While she kept her eyes shut she saw something that was really scary. Three people. Two men and a woman. She opened her eyes and she could feel a weird feeling in her stomach. She tried to shook it off and kept showering. But just as much as she ignored that feeling it just bit her in the back more. Something big and bad was coming soon...

* * *

Ashley was in her shift when the senior part of the Scooby Gang showed up looking for Matt. Tonight was Senior's Prank Night and they wanted to prank all their teachers. Ashley walked over to them and smiled a little.

"Please, do something horrible to Ric. Like put some honey down the table." She told them and all of them chuckled. Caroline hummed and then decided to say something to Ashley.

"Why don't you come too? We need someone as mischievous as you are." Caroline proposed and Ashley didn't know what to say. She didn't want to join a group that she really wasn't welcomed but before she could say no Matt came and spoke for her.

"Yeah, and I need the other normal human by my side." Matt pointed out and Ashley gave him a small smile.

"Okay, then. I just need to change in my clothes." Ashley told them and Caroline cheered in excitement.

"Me and Tyler will wait for you while the girls go to school." Matt informed her and she nodded her head. Ashley headed to the changing rooms and grabbed her clothes. She wore her ripped blue jeans, a simple sky blue shirt and a pair of white vans. She let down her hair and got out juts to see Matt and Tyler talking about their senior year. They saw Ashley coming and they got up from their seats.

"So, are you guys excited for your last year of high school?" Ashley asked as they walked to the door of the Grill. They both shrugged their shoulders.

"If we live that long, then yes." Tyler joked and Ashley chuckled as they got out of the Grill.

"That's something to look forward over these nine months." Matt said as they walked to the parking lot straight at Matt's truck.

"It's like i'm going to attend it. Caroline missed many days last year. So did Elena, Bonnie and Stefan." Tyler pointed out and Ashley raised an eyebrow at his statement.

"Wow, I wish I didn't have to go to my school like that." She said as Matt his truck's door and all of them got in.

"Where did you live before?" Tyler asked as Matt turned the engine on. Ashley sat on the back while Tyler sat in the passenger seat.

"L.A, California." Replied Ashley buckling her seat belt just to see Tyler turned around to look at her.

"So where you hit on a head before?" Ashley raised an eyebrow at Tyler statement but he spoke up again. "You came here in Mystic Falls and left Los Angeles."

"My friends left Los Angeles and I ended up alone. And plus, I lived in the suburban. It was quite boring." Ashley replied to his question. "And I really wanted to come here and be with my uncle. Although my life in suburban is way more quite then my life in Mystic Falls which is surrounded with supernatural species. And way more dangerous."

"Well, it has got way more low than a few months ago." Tyler pointed out and Matt nodded his head in agreement. "We had Klaus, Elijah, the werewolves and all this stuff."

"Now, it got better. Klaus is away thinking Elena is dead and we are free." Matt said and Ashley looked at the guys with suspicion.

"I can't believe Klaus bought the whole thing that Elena is dead. I though he was supposed to be the smartest and most evil creature in the world." Ashley wondered out loud and the guys shared looks with each-other. Matt parked his car in the parking lot and Ashley just shrugged it off. "Maybe he's not that smart." The three of them left the car and got into the school. Ashley explored the school's hallways. The guys got in a dark classroom and when they go inside a couple of mouse traps set off. Ashley looked on the ground that they were tons off them. Matt turned the light on just to see the other three girls there.

"Ohh! Oh, come on! Seriously?! Do you know how long it took for us to set all this up?!" Caroline whined while the others smiled at her. Ashley looked around the classroom and her eyes landed on the girls.

"It was lame ass prank." She commented and Caroline rolled her eyes at her comment.

"Well, I planned this prank since freshman year with these guys." Caroline pointed out and Ashley leaned against a desk.

"Well, you sure had lack of imagination as freshmen." Ashley joked making everyone smile expect Caroline who shot her a glare.

"This way too boring." Matt protested and Caroline turned to glare at him but Elena was the one to speak up.

"Yeah, Matt. If I'm doing this, you're doing this." Elena said and Ashley held the urge to roll her eyes. Damon had left town with Katherine after a big fight with Elena and Elena was acting all mopey about it. He wasn't her boyfriend but no one was bothered by that only Ashley.

"I'm kind of surprised any of you are doing this." Matt sincerely told his friends and they all nodded their heads.

"Caroline's making us." Bonnie informed them and Caroline smiled with triumphant.

"We're about to be seniors. These are the memories that will stay with us forever, and if we don't..." Caroline didn't finish her words as she was cut off by Elena herself.

"And if we don't create these memories now, then what's the point of it all?" Elena joked and Ashley kinda felt bad for Caroline and how were they were treating her ideas.

"Go ahead and make fun, I don't care." Caroline rolled her eyes as she said that.

"You're all lame. And I've got ten more classrooms to prank." Tyler left the classroom with a bag and Elena was about to go to.

"Hey! Where are you going?" Bonnie asked her brunette friend and Elena turned to reply at her.

"To superglue Mr. Andersons's desk. He ruined my average on sophomore year. I'm making memories." Elena replied with a smile which Caroline returned too.

"I love you!" Caroline told her best friend as she left and Ashley took some superglue and honey for her uncle.

"Ric is going to get a surprise from me." Both of the girls laughed before Ashley got out of the class. She looked around and she finally found her uncle's class. She smiled as she saw the class that her uncle teaches. She moved to his desk and began to use the honey and then the superglue. It was extremely hard but in the end she accomplished. After, she finished and threw the things in the trash just to piss off Alaric more, she got out of the class. Just to see the halls empty, she looked around and more but no one was nowhere. Just as she turned she was met with a man. A really attractive man. He seemed in his early 20s. He sure wasn't a student but he could be a teacher for sure. He had dark blonde which were curly and his eyes were blue like the deep of sea. The guy looked at Ashley from head to toe.

"You're way to hot to be a teacher in this school." Ashley spoke up and a hint of smile was shown on the guy's face. He carefully eyed the beautiful girl in front of him.

"Sorry to break it down to you but senior prank night is over. You've been busted." He informed Ashley and she just smiled at him. There was wrong with the way he spoke, it seemed a little fakey.

"Good thing I'm not a senior or even go to the school." Ashley pointed out and he raised an eyebrow. He pulled Ashley closer and she immediately panicked not knowing who he was.

"Do you know who is Elena Gilbert?" He asked her in a compelling voice but as she was wearing vervain it didn't affect her. This time he wasn't talking in an American accent, he was talking to a British one. A British guy looking for Elena and he was trying to compel her. _Oh no._

"Klaus." Ashley wondered out loud and he smiled at her. He pulled her with him as she tried to let go of him.

"Well, you certainly know Elena and can't get compelled which I presume you are someone that matters to her because you're wearing vervain." He guessed as she tried to get out of his strong hold.

"Wow, aren't you a smart one?" Klaus smiled at Ashley's sarcasm and gave her an amused look.

"Well, I won't kill you because I'm keeping you as entertainment for tonight. You happen to amuse me." He pointed out as he pulled her to gym. She groaned as she saw where they were going.

"Please, not in the gym. I hated P.E because my teacher was such a perv and I was kinda lazy." Klaus choose to ignore her and they both entered the gym. They were two people that Ashley didn't know and Elena who turned around immediately.

"I really thought you were going to run." Klaus spoke directly to Elena and she clenched her fists when she saw Ashley.

"Let go of her! She's no part of this." Elena told Klaus but he shook his head. Ashley was about to agree with Elena but Klaus was faster to talk.

"She is pretty amusing and I want to have fun with her commentary." Klaus pushed Ashley away and indicated her to stay there. Ashley didn't know what to do but to obey his orders. Klaus went to Elena and Elena backed down. "Before we start this, Dana would you please lift your foot up." The girl did as she was instructed by Klaus and Ashley observed carefully. He then turned to the boy. "If she drops her foot, Chad, I want you to beat her to death. Understood?" Chad nodded his head while Ashley winced.

"This is probably going to be something out of Game of Thrones." Ashley commented and Klaus turned to look at her and then Elena.

"Like I thought an entertainment for tonight. A commentator." He joked but neither one of the girls laughed. Elena turned to Klaus worried about her classmates.

"Don't, Klaus. You don't have to hurt anybody." She told him and Klaus turned with a smile.

"Oh, come on, love. Of course I do." He replied and Ashley knew where this was going to.

* * *

It had been minutes that they have been in the gym and Dana was struggling to stand in one foot. Ashley hoped that the girl could stay a little bit more but she couldn't.

"Keep it up." Klaus ordered Dana and Ashley looked as Dana didn't have much time in her hands.

"Where's Stefan? What did you do to him?" Elena asked Klaus which earned Ashley's attention. Klaus turned to Elena.

"Stefan's on a time out." Klaus simply replied not really relieving Elena at all.

"Why couldn't you take him with you?" Ashley spoke up earning Klaus and Elena's attentions. "All summer long she didn't shut up about him. It was boring to hear and watch." Before Klaus or Elena could say anything, Matt and Bonnie got in the gym and Ashley cursed under her breath.

"Bonnie, get out of here!" Elena screamed but it was too late. Klaus rushed to Bonnie and appeared in front of her.

"Maybe it was better if you didn't scream her name." Elena just turned to glare at Ashley who shrugged her shoulders and looked away.

"Ah, I was wondering when you'd show up. Now we can get started." Klaus wondered and he turned around to Dana and Chad. "Ah, Dana, why don't you relax? You and Chad sit tight." They did as they instructed and he then turned to Bonnie."I assume you're the reason Elena's still walking around alive?"

"That's right. If you want to blame someone, blame me." Bonnie said and acted all badass on Ashley's opinion. She waited for Bonnie to do some witchy stuff at Klaus but she never did.

"Oh, there's no need for blame, love. Just your witchy interference seems to have caused some undesirable side effects. And since you caused the problem, I'm going to have you find the fix." Just as Klaus was finished, Tyler entered the gym with the blonde girl who was pushing him around. Ashley tilted her head and looked at the blonde who was really beautiful and had a good fashion sense.

"Get off of me!" Tyler told the blonde girl who dragged with force towards Klaus.

"Hush now." She ordered him and Tyler kept struggling to get out of her grip.

"I'd like you all to meet my sister Rebekah. Word of warning...She can be quite mean." Klaus introduced them to the blonde girl who seemed to fit Klaus lest statement.

"Don't be an ass." She warned her brother and he just smiled at her. She threw Tyler with her force in Klaus's arms.

"Leave him alone!" Elena screamed just to make things more dramatic on Ashley's behalf. Ashley turned to look at Tyler and she started to worry too.

"I'm going to make this very simple...Every time I attempt to turn a werewolf into a vampire hybrid, they die during the transition. It's quite horrible, actually." Klaus explained and pulled his wrist to his mouth just to bit it and then force Tyler to drink some blood. Ashley furrowed her eyebrows in disgust. "I need you to find a way to save my hybrids, Bonnie. And for Tyler's sake...You better hurry." And just in that moment, Klaus's hands were on Tyler's throat and just then he snapped his neck leaving Tyler for dead. Ashley gasped in shock and fear for her friend. She looked up just to see Tyler smiling at all of them. A sick smile may she add. Matt moved to his best friend's body.

"He killed him." Said Matt as he saw that his best friend was lying on the floor dead. Elena decided to speak up and explain to Matt.

"He's not dead. Klaus's blood will turn him into a vampire." Ashley looked at Elena as she spoke and then at Tyler who was still dead.

"And if Bonnie's successful, he'll live through his transition. Go on, then. Go and fetch your grimoires and enchantments and what-not. I'll hold on to Elena...for safe-keeping." Klaus moved, grabbed Elena's arm and looked her. Elena signaled at Bonnie to leave which she did and Matt followed her behind. Rebekah turned to look at Elena who was standing a few feet from her.

"So this is the latest doppelgänger. The original one was much prettier." Rebekah's words were really bitchy and Ashley kinda approved of it.

"That is a high-classed burn." Ashley commented earning Rebekah's attention. Rebekah furrowed her eyebrows not knowing Ashley. "I'm Ashley by the way or as Klaus put it the entertainment for tonight. Really nice taste of clothes." Rebekah smiled at Ashley and then turned to her brother.

"I like her Nik. She got spunk." Rebekah noted but Klaus didn't say anything.

"Enough, Rebekah. Take the wolf boy elsewhere, would you?" Klaus told his sister and she did as she was told. After that, he turned to look at Elena who was pretty much nothing but silent.

"Just ignore her. Petty little thing." Klaus excused his sister and Ashley cleared her throat.

"That's not a nice thing to say to you but you know what it's not my business." Klaus walked closer to Ashley but she didn't move at all. She just looked at him directly.

"How are you related to all of this?" Klaus asked her and Ashley gulped down. She didn't know to say the truth or lie but knowing he will find out sooner or later, she chose to tell the truth.

"My uncle is Alaric Saltzman. I'm his niece, Ashley Saltzman." She replied to his questions and Klaus hummed as he began to circle her.

"The one who gave me his body as a loan." Klaus replied and Ashley looked at him surprised as it was the first time she heard of this.

"Wait, what did you just say?" She asked him but Klaus chose not to reply but rather ask question.

"Why did you contact your uncle now?" He asked and Ashley turned to him with a bitter smile.

"It's none of your business for a matter of fact." she snapped back at him taking him off guard.

"Although I happen to find amusing your snarky comments, you really need to watch who you are talking to." Klaus reminded her and Ashley nodded her head afraid to do something else. She then looked at Elena who seemed really distracted and unfocused. Just then someone showed up in the gym and it was no one but Stefan Salvatore himself. It was the first time Ashley was going to interact with him personally.

"Stefan..." She heard Elena whisper and she was waiting for star-struck lovers to have something like a romantic reunion but what was going to follow was nothing like that.

"Klaus." Stefan barely acknowledged the girl who just called his name and directly went to Klaus.

"Come to save your damsel, mate?" Klaus joked with Stefan but Stefan shook his head surprising Elena and Ashley.

"I came to ask for your forgiveness. And pledge my loyalty." Stefan told Klaus shocking the two girls even more. Something was telling Ashley that this will get worse by second.

"Well, you broke that pledge once already." Klaus pointed out and there was hit of anger on his voice as he said that which was noticed by Ashley.

"Elena means nothing to me anymore. And whatever you ask of me...I will do." Stefan hesitated but when he said those words there was no turning back.

"Fair enough. Let's drink on it." Klaus turned to Dana and Chad and Ashley knew what was coming. She really didn't want to be part of this right nor or ever. "Kill them. What are you waiting for? Kill them." Stefan didn't move and Elena decided to speak.

"No! Stefan, don't. He's not going to hurt me. He already said..." Elena was interrupted by a slap that Klaus hit her with. It hit her so hard that it made a loud sound. Ashley gasped and flinched as she saw Elena fall on the floor.

"Elena!" She was the one to scream but Klaus raised his hand indicating her to stop which she did. Stefan rushed to Klaus his fangs showing but Klaus being stronger grabbed him by his throat.

"She means nothing to you? Your lies just keep piling up." Klaus bitterly commented as his grip on Stefan's throat became stronger.

"Let her go! I'll do whatever you want, you have my word!" Stefan barely could speak because of Klaus's grip on his throat. Ashley was in the middle of all this and she really didn't know what to do.

"Your word doesn't mean much. I lived by your word all summer, during which time I never had to resort to this..." Klaus puled Stefan closer and looked him in the eyes. "Stop fighting."

"Don't do this, don't do this." Stefan begged to Klaus but Klaus was clearly going to ignore Stefan and his words.

"I didn't want to. All I wanted was your allegiance. Now I'm going to have to take it." And Ashley knew it was too late for Stefan to do anything. She walked closer to Elena and knelt to look at how she was feeling. Elena was still getting herself together and Ashley have been to if someone hit her that hard too.

"Don't...Don't..." Stefan kept begging but it was too late. An evil smile appeared on Klaus's face as he was ready to compel Stefan.

"You will do exactly as I say when I say it. You will not run, you will not hide, you will simply just obey."

"No, Stefan!" Elena screamed even if it was too late. Klaus let go of Stefan who looked uneasy. Klaus turned to Dana and Chad and then at Stefan.

"Now kill them, Ripper." Klaus instructed and Stefan sped to the two teenagers. He grabbed Dana and sank his teeth on her neck. He began to drain her blood drop by drop til the last one. Ashley watched in horror the first time she saw a vampire out of control and that just happened to be a compelled Stefan Salvatore. After he killed Dana, he dropped on the floor and began to feed on Chad. Ashley kept hearing Elena's cries for Stefan to stop but Stefan was compelled to obey Klaus's rule. After he was finished with Chad too, he dropped the body on the floor.

"It's always nice to see a vampire in his true element. The species has become such a broody lot." Klaus commented and Ashley glued her eyes to Stefan's victims' dead bodies. She shivered at the thought that something like that could happen to her too.

"No. You did this to him." Elena defended the man she loved and Klaus turned around to face her.

"I invited him to the party, love. He's the one dancing on the table." Klaus put it in a metaphor and he only earned glares from Elena. Just then an Elena angry Rebekah stormed in the room and she walked directly towards Elena.

"Where is it?! Where's my necklace?" If looks could kill, Rebekah's look at would probably killed her in place.

"What are you talking about?" Klaus asked his angry sister who turned her attention to her brother.

"She has my necklace. Look." Rebekah gave Klaus as Ashley remembered Caroline's phone and he looked at a photo in it.

"Well, well. More lies." Klaus stated giving the phone back to Rebekah and looking at Elena.

"Where...is it?" Rebekah's voice was dangerously low for anyone's liking. Elena shook her head before she talked.

"I don't have it anymore." Elena told them the truth bur Rebekah didn't believe it.

"You're lying." She lunged towards Elena and bit her in the neck making Elena let a scream. Just then Ashley pushed Rebekah off Elena with the force she didn't have in it but before Rebekah could do something, Klaus stopped his sister.

"Knock it off!" Klaus ordered her and Rebekah stopped while Klaus took her side.

"Make her tell me where it is, Nik!" Rebekah whined and Ashley guessed that Rebekah was a brat. Klaus moved closer to Elena who had her hand on her neck.

"Where's the necklace, sweetheart? Be honest." Ashley eyed Elena carefully thinking that Elena will reply but Elena proved the opposite.

" I'm telling the truth. Katherine stole it." Klaus sighed and smiled a little remembering the smart doppelganger known as Katerina to him.

"Katerina. Of course. Well, that's unfortunate. If we had the necklace it would make things a whole lot easier for your witch, but since we're doing this the hard way, let's put a clock on it, shall we?" Klaus pot a clock on the score board. Then there a buzz went off as the clock appeared on the score board. He then went over to Stefan and compelled him.

"Twenty minutes. If Bonnie hasn't found a solution by then, I want you to feed again. Only this time, I want you to feed on Elena. You know you want to." Ashley really thought he will tell Stefan to kill her but when she said Elena, she got relieved. She could admit something that Klaus was pretty damn calculative and smart.

"No, Klaus! Don't do this to him!" Elena begged him but Klaus ignored the doppelganger's begs.

"You Ashley girl, come with me and Rebekah while you two stay here.." Ashley gave Elena a look and then she followed the two Originals in front of her.

* * *

Ashley had moved in a classroom with Tyler, Caroline and Rebekah. Ashley and Caroline were looking at Tyler while Rebekah was looking at the clock on Caroline's phone. Ashley made the worst decision to come with tonight even through she was lucky that she didn't get hurt at all. Ashley jumped a little as she was scared of Tyler's sudden wake-up. all of the girls' heads turned to Tyler.

"Where am I? What happened?" Tyler asked questions immediately after he woke up from her sleep.

"Tyler." Caroline called his name and he turned to look at his blonde girlfriend.

"Don't be shy about it." Rebekah spoke up as she walked near to Tyler.

"What's going on?" Tyler asked still confused at the situation surrounding him.

"Klaus is turning you into a vampire. A hybrid. You're in transition." Ashley was the one to talk now as she looked at her transitioning friend.

"Don't leave out the hard part, sweets. You'll only survive if your witch is successful. If not...You're pretty much dead." Rebekah pointed out earning a glare from both Caroline and Ashley.

"You're going to be okay. Okay? It's going to be okay." Caroline tried to assure her boyfriend even through she knew she was wrong.

"I wonder how she's doing." Rebekah wondered at out loud and she looked at the clock from Caroline's phone. They were only two minutes remaining. "Tick tock goes the gym clock."

"Really good with rhymes, aren't you?" Ashley asked sarcastically Rebekah who turned to look at the dark-haired girl.

"You're really snarky for a human that life can be taken away in less than one second." Rebekah pointed out and Ashley shrugged her shoulders.

"Life is to short to be a boring person. You just proved me that my life is too short." Rebekah looked at Ashley with an interesting stare.

"You are a smart mouth, aren't you?" Ashley looked down and then looked up at the blonde once more.

"Just as much as you are a vampire, Bex." Rebekah gave her an odd look at the nickname Ashley just gave. "Can I call you Bex?" Rebekah just nodded her head. Just then her phone rang and she took it out of her pocket. Just to see that her grandmother was calling. Ashley stood there dumbfounded. Her grandma had found the worst moment to call. "I need to answer this." Rebekah couldn't protest because Ashley already answered.

"Hi, grandma!" She exclaimed with a fake happiness and both the others raise an eyebrow.

 _"How are you doing, dear? Are you alright?"_ Her grandmother Susan asked through the phone. Ashley was looking at her situation right now and it was nothing but alright.

"I'm fine, grandma. As always. How are you and grandpa doing?" Ashley changed the subject to her grandparents and turned around.

 _"He's like always. Not knowing how microwave works!"_ Her grandmother screamed the last sentence knowing she was in the room with her grandpa.

 _"Well I know how a TV remote works."_ She hear her grandpa speak and the others in the room chuckling.

 _"He's just being a whiny old man. i should have married Travis Clinton."_ Her grandmother complained and Ashley knew what was coming.

 _"I'm the best man you could ever find in your whole damn life!"_ Her grandpa's voice was heard again. Ashley covered her face with her hands as she looked back and saw that Tyler was smiling too.

"Grandma, I'm sorry but I have to go my friends are calling for me." Ashley excused herself as she tapped her fingers on a desk nearby.

 _"Okay, Ashley. Don't forget to call us next week."_ Her grandmother was about to hang up but she spoke up again. _"And don't forget to look for monsters down on your bed."_

"Grandma, that _-_ " But it was cut off was her grandma hanged up the phone. Just the Klaus walked in the room and everyone turned their attention to him.

"Well, the verdict's in. The original witch says the doppelgänger should be dead." Klaus spoke to his sister who hot up from her position and seemed way happy about killing someone.

"Does that mean we can kill her?" Rebekah asked again way too happy but Klaus cut her happiness short.

"No, I'm fairly certain it means the opposite." Klaus replied leaving not just Rebekah confused but everyone else.

"What?!" Rebekah asked as Klaus moved closer to Tyler and then Rebekah moved to pull Caroline back, restraining her from preventing something.

"Call it a hunch..." Klaus showed a test tube with blood on it and then he showed to Tyler. "Elena's blood. Drink it." Klaus instructed Tyler and Caroline began o move.

"No! No, no, no, Tyler, don't!" Caroline protested and Klaus turned to look at her.

"If he doesn't feed, he'll die anyway, love. Consider this an experiment. It's okay." Klaus informed her. Tyler struggled at first but then he drank the blood. "There we go. Good boy." Just then Tyler rolled over and fell on the floor. After that he began to scream which made Ashley wince a little. He began screaming, groaning and writhing. He held his head with his hands as he kept screaming. Just then he looked up, his eyes were amber yellow, veins appeared under his eyes and he had fans now. Klaus couldn't help but smile with pride. "Well, that's a good sign." Tyler was the first sire hybrid to be made by Klaus. Then Ashley realized that she predicted today in the morning. There were two men, Klaus and Stefan and a woman who was Rebekah.

* * *

After the whole thing was over, Ashley waited for Alaric to come pick her up. She could barely stand on her feet and her eyelids were already close. She heard a car being pulled off just to see it was her uncle's car. She rushed to go inside and when she got in, she was welcomed with an embrace by er uncle.

"Thank God, you're fine." Alaric muttered as he pulled away from his niece.

"Who could believe it that my attitude will save me?" Ashley wondered and Alaric began to drive the car.

"Me. I thought it would have done quite the opposite." He admitted and Ashley rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out to him.

"Is Elena okay?" Ashley asked with concern in her voice much to her own shock.

"Better. Stefan bit her because Klaus made him turn his emotions off because Stefan wouldn't bite him even if he was compelled. Then Klaus drained her blood in the hospital but Damon saved the day before it was too late." Alaric replied to her question and Ashley nodded her head.

"Damon Salvatore saves the day. What a day." Ashley murmured but Alaric clearly heard his niece. After a couple of minutes, he dropped her off at the building and after she said her goodnight to her uncle, she got out of the car and got into the building. She ascended the stairs and got in her apartment. As soon as she closed the door, she jumped on her bed and her eyelids closed immediately.

* * *

 _ **Sorry guys that Damon and Ashley didn't have any interaction at all in this chapter but we would have a lot in the next chapter and a lot of flirting from both sides ;). I hope you liked the introduction with Klaus and Rebekah, I couldn't do a proper one with Stefan but I would do it in the next chapter.**_

 _ **Now that school is over, I have more time to write and will be updating a lot sooner. I'm just inspired to write this story because I love Ashley's dynamics with the other characters.**_

 _ **ILUVTHESALVATORE:**_ I really don't wanna lie by saying no because Elena will try to keep them apart in the later chapters and she is already 'threatened' at their flirting and friendship.

 _ **Gigi:**_ Well, they talked it out and there won't be any fights between anymore. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

 _ **monkeey76:**_ That would be so funny to do. I wish I could do the beating part because Stefan in the beginning of season 3 kinda annoyed me but he has more that 100 years on her and plus she's a human but she can sure try. About her being a bitch to him will probably happen as she loves to be one.

 _ **galwidanatitud:**_ Alaric kinda made a mistake not focusing on his niece but Elena but he's going to learn his mistakes and put his niece first. He probably would noticed Ashley's odd behavior but he was too busy looking fo Elena like evrybody in Mystic Falls.

 ** _NicoleR85:_** I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter and Ashley and Alaric talked it out this morning and they will be better now. I hope you enjoy the update.

 _ **P.S. Do you guys think I should write another Vampire Diaries story? I have may ideas and it will will be Damon/OC again as I can't get enough of Damon Salvatore or Ian Somerhalder for that matter**_


	8. Smells Like Teen Spirit

_**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE VAMPIRE DIARIES, I JUST OWN MY CHARACTERS AND THEIR STORY LINES.**_

* * *

Ashley had woken up early as she had a shift in the morning. She was getting as order for some clients when she heard a voice from behind.

"Isn't the commentator?" Ashley turned to look at the blonde Original who was narrowing her at the dark-haired girl. Ashley was surprised that Rebekah was there as she heard that Klaus fled away from the town.

"I thought you left with your brother." Rebekah sighed at the mention of her older brother.

"My brother got away and left me. Now, I don't have any place to stay. I was wondering if you could help me out with that." Ashley furrowed her eyebrows at the blonde. "Help me find the Salvatore house."

"I have work." Ashley pointed out as the bartender gave her the order. Rebekah didn't speak at all and Ashley moved to the clients giving them their orders. When she got back at the bar, Rebekah had disappeared making Ashley frown a little.

"Ashley! You're done for today." Her manager said and Rebekah was smiling behind him. Ashley sighed but she decided to go with Rebekah either way. Rebekah walked over to her as Ashley took off her apron and put it in the counter.

"We're going with my car." Ashley informed the blonde. They got out of the Grill and walked to the parking lot. Ashley began to drive the car.

"If you're Klaus's sister why no one mentioned?" Ashley asked as she turned left.

"Well, I was daggered since the 20s." Ashley raised an eyebrow at her statement and gave Rebekah a look.

"That's another way to deal with family problems." Ashley commented and Rebekah turned to look at her.

"Do you think I should start high school?" Ashley chuckled at Rebekah's words. "Why are you laughing?"

"Honey, you better off with that. I'm glad I finished it." Ashley told the blonde Original who snorted.

"Well, I saw this movie in television with some mean girls and how high school worked for a girl who was never in high school. It was quite amusing may I add." Ashley smiled as she knew what movie she saw.

"Was the lead girl from Africa?" Rebekah nodded her head indicating that it was. "You were watching the 'Mean Girls'. That's like the best high school movie. It tells you the truth of high school from a girl perspective."

"Klaus said that it was waste of my time." Rebekah noted and Ashley rolled her eyes.

"Well, Klaus was born in another millennium so he doesn't what a good movie is." Rebekah smiled as Ashley pulled the car to the boarding house.

"Well, the house is huge." Rebekah commented looking at the boarding house. Ashley turned the engine off and they both got out of the car. The girls walked to the house and Rebekah knocked on the door and Damon was the one to open it.

"Where's Stefan?" Rebekah asked and before Damon replied, she spotted Stefan playing Twister with some girls.

"Who the hell are you?" Damon asked as his eyes followed Rebekah's. Rebekah didn't bother to acknowledge the elder Salvatore brother as she talked to Stefan. Damon turned and looked at the dark-haired girl who was looking down. He opened the door wider for her to get in and closed it when she got in. Ashley was disgusted as she saw some girls playing twister covered in blood. She wrinkled her nose and looked at Damon who rolled his eyes at her reaction.

"He left me here. My brother actually left me here." Rebekah told Stefan in disbelief but Stefan didn't seem to care.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Your tone implies that I'm actually supposed to care." Stefan turned to look at the girl next to Damon and he smirked.

"Hey, you!" Ashley narrowed her eyes at the younger brother. "Don't you think it will be fun to join the girls too?"

"Yeah, you know what else sounds fun stabbing myself with a fork." Stefan raised an eyebrow at Ashley's remark while Damon smirked at the girl's response.

"Alaric's niece." Stefan pointed out and Ashley smiled indicating that she was.

"You're Klaus's sister?" Damon asked the blonde Original who turned to look at him.

"Rebekah. Pleasure, I'm sure." Rebekah then turned to the other Salvatore."Which one's my room?"

"You're not staying here." Stefan told the blonde with a smile. Rebekah turned to Damon who didn't talk at all.

"Rude. Both of you. I'll see to it myself." Rebekah walked away from them while the three other followed her with her eyes. Stefan turned to look at his brother.

"So I guess she's staying here." Stefan turned the attention to the girls playing Twister while Damon turned to the girl beside him.

"Come with me." Damon dragged the girl with him to his room but they had some eyes watching them in suspicion. They walked towards the stairs and Ashley saw two brunettes lying dead on the floor, she gaped on horror and disgust as she looked at the dead bodies. She tried not to step on their bodies as she began to ascend the stairs. They got in Damon's room and he closed the door.

"What the hell are you doing with her?" Damon asked indicating to Rebekah and Ashley shrugged her shoulders. Damon moved to the sink and turned the water on so no one could hear.

"She came in the Grill, asked me to find your house and she bailed me out of work. Plus, she's not that bad." Damon looked at her in disbelief.

"She's Klaus's sister." Damon reminded her and she gave him a confused look.

"You can't judge people by their siblings. We all have different personalities." Ashley pointed out and Damon rolled his eyes at her.

"Okay. I need to call Katherine to learn about Mikael while you stay here and be nice." Ashley rolled her eyes at him while he called the doppelganger. After he was done talking to Elena, he turned to Ashley.

"Mikael is Klaus's worst nightmare. As soon as I mentioned him, Klaus fled town like little scared puppy. Katherine is trying to revive him as he was locked up without blood." Damon informed Ashley as she looked at him. She was about to say something but Damon's phone rang. He picked up the call and Ashley waited him to finish it. After he was done, she got up to him and walked over to Damon.

"Would you do me a favor, Salvatore?" Damon looked at her as she smiled innocently. "I really need you to train me."

"How about Ric?" Damon asked and Ashley looked down.

"He told me if he wanted me to exercise I needed to get up at 5 A.M. I sleep at 4 A.M. Then it will be harder and better to train with you because you're a vampire and therefore stronger." Damon smirked as he got closer to her.

"Is that excuse to stay more with me? "Damon asked smirking at her while she rolled her eyes.

"You know I can ask Caroline." Ashley was about to leave but Damon caught her arm. He pulled her closer than he wanted to and their body pressed together. They locked their eyes for a second before Ashley taking a step back. "So Salvatore, are you ready to train me?"

"Of course, Buffy." Ashley rolled her eyes and smiled at him.

* * *

Ashley and Damon were on her apartment. Ashley now was wearing a training bra and Damon couldn't keep his eyes off her. He was holding two hands while Ashley was punching at them but Damon didn't show any pain.

"You should stop looking at my breast." Ashley told him as she stopped punching at him. Damon put his hands down and gave her a look.

"Well, I admire big things." Ashley snorted and hit him in the arm.

"You know for a human, you're pretty strong." Damon commented and Ashley gave him a smile as she took a deep breath. They had been training for almost three hours and Ashley was tired. Just then Damon grabbed Ashley and pretended to bite her neck but Ashley moved away. "Rule number one, vampires love the element of surprise."

"What's the easiest way to get into a vampire's heart?" Ashley asked looking at Damon. Damon took her hand and placed on his chest, Ashley gave him a confused look.

"Feel that? It's a sternum. Solid plate of bone." Damon told the dark-haired girl who looked up to him. He then spun her around and his body touched her back and slid his hand on her hand making Ashley shiver a little.

"Right here, just below the ribcage, next to the spine, that's your way to a vampire's heart." Damon explained and Ashley turned around to look at the vampire. His eyes moved from her eyes and lingered to her lips and she noticed it that but she didn't object it at all. There was a silence an d neither one of them moved. They just still looking at each-other. Just then the door of the apartment opened and Ashley took a step back. They turned to see Elena entering the apartment and she looked up to them.

"Hi!" Elena greeted them with a smile. "I came here to work-out. I hope you don't mind, Ashley." Ashley shook her head indicating that it was no trouble.

"That's what we were doing." Damon informed and his eyes once again trailed down to Ashley's breast and Elena noticed. She flushed a little in jealousy as she saw that Damon's attention was on Ashley.

"How was your first day of school?" Ashley made an attempt for a conversation. Elena moved to incline bench and began to work out.

"Stefan called me a human blood bag. He's a completely different person." Damon moved and pressed the bar Elena was lifting making it more difficult for Elena.

"Unh! What are you doing?" Elena asked as she tried to push it up.

"Helping you out." Damon replied to the brunette and Ashley moved to grab some water for her.

"Damon!" Elena whined making Ashley cringe but Damon wasn't going to let go.

"Come on, Buffy over there beat me to it." Ashley smiled as she remembered what Damon did before to her and as she pushed the bar up. Elena groaned and released the bar making Damon put it in its place.

"Like one obnoxious Salvatore isn't bad enough." Elena commented as she sat down on the bench.

"Was he really that bad?" Ashley asked Elena who nodded her head.

"I have a plan to bring old Stefan back." He informed the two others earning their attentions. "I want to lock Stefan up, at least until this Mikael guy comes, kills Klaus, and the compulsion breaks."

"Compulsion or not, Stefan's high on human blood, Okay? A lot of it." Damon reminded the girl and Ashley remembered Stefan in the morning today with the girls.

"You've gotten him off of it before." Elena pointed out and Ashley could hear the naivety in her voice.

"This is different. It's not a stint in rehab, Elena. His humanity's gone. Light's out. No one's home." Ashley gave Damon a look and then turned to look at Elena.

"He's right, Elena. He seemed pretty crazy in the morning." Elena raised an eyebrow while Damon cursed under his breath. Ashley rolled her eyes but she kept talking. She was done sugar coating it. "He was making some girls play Twister and he bit them while they were playing. Plus, he asked me to join. Oh and I almost forgot the two dead girls by the stairs." Damon glared at her while Elena was glaring at him.

"Really, Ashley?" Damon asked tilting his head and Ashley only gave him a shrug.

"Can you please do it for me? Every single time I look at him, I feel like I'm going to break. And I'm not going to give him that satisfaction." Elena begged the older Salvatore brother and Ashley scoffed at her. How could he not see that she was using him and using his feelings for her?

"I'll do whatever it is you need me to do, Elena." Damon told her and Ashley wanted to hit him in the head at his stupidity. "No one going to hurt you. Especially not my brother." Ashley cleared her throat and they turned to look at her. Elena took her stuff and left the apartment.

"I'll do whatever it is you need me to do, Elena." Ashley mimicked the Salvatore brother and he turned to look at her. "That was pathetic and desperate."

"Please shut up!" He told her and she pursued her lips. She looked at her bathroom and then back at him.

"I need to take a shower, so you should leave." She told him then she gave him an innocent smile. "Even through you would love to stay, wouldn't you?" Damon smirked at her and took a step forward her.

"If you don't mind, I'll join." Damon wiggled his eyebrows while she shook her head with a smile. "You know I'm really good kisser and incredible lover."

"Mhm..." Ashley pretended to think as she looked at him. "I don' think your my type."

"Drop dead gorgeous guys aren't your type?" Damon asked making her look away. He took one more step forward and she stood still. "I'm everyone's type."

"Not mine." Ashley challenged him and he leaned down close to her ear.

"Let's see about that." Just then he sped away from the apartment and Ashley took a deep breath. She then remembered what she was doing. She was flirting with her uncle's best friend. She covered her face with her hands and cursed under her breath.

* * *

Ashley was called by Alaric to join a "Scooby Gang" meeting in his classroom and they all had to go to the bonfire. She first protested but she agreed to go there. She wore a black mini skirt and a loose white shirt with black heels. She entered the classroom and saw that only Elena and Alaric were there. Alaric looked at what she was wearing and she knew by his facial expression that he didn't like.

"Don't like it?" She asked her uncle and he gave her a look.

"Couldn't you wear something longer?" Alaric asked and Ashley only smiled at him.

"Better than nothing." She joked but she didn't make anyone smile. She took a seat on one of the desk and waited for the others to come. Damon and Caroline joined them soon and Elena began to explain her plan.

"I'll lure Stefan away from the bonfire. Then when he's distracted..." Elena trailed off and Alaric spoke up.

"I'll shoot him." Alaric said and Ashley wasn't sure to put her uncle in danger but she decided not to utter a word.

"Can't Bonnie just ju-ju him or something?" Damon asked as he was lazy to do anything and Elena turned to look at him.

"I'm trying to keep Bonnie out of this. I don't trust that Stefan won't hurt her. Caroline, are you covered?" Elena turned to the blonde vampire who nodded her head.

"Yes! I will make sure that the old Forbes jail cell is prepped and ready." Caroline informed her best friend and then Ashley remembered something.

"We're forgetting a key player here." Everyone turned to look at Ashley as she spoke. "Rebekah?"

"Buffy is right." Damon agreed as he pressed himself against the window. "Wherever Stefan goes, the blonde ponytail tends to follow."

"Which is why it's your job to keep her away." Elena told him and Damon furrowed his eyebrows at her.

"How?! She's an Original. Last time I checked, we're out of daggers." Damon reminded her while Elena stopped to think of something else.

"So then preoccupy her with your charm." Ashley snorted a laugh earning everyone's attention.

"Might have better luck finding the dagger." Alaric and Caroline tried to hide their smiles while Damon turned to glare at the girl who was sitting in the desk. Just then, Tyler walked in the classroom joining them.

"Sorry I'm late. What's going on?" Tyler asked the group and Elena decided to reply.

"We need you to raid your mom's vervain supply. Enough to keep Stefan down for a while." Elena replied to Tyler's question who frowned at her words.

"You can't do that to Stefan." Tyler pointed and everyone looked at him confused.

"Why not?" His girlfriend asked him and he turned to her.

"Trust me, Tyler, it's in his best interest." Elena spoke up and Tyler turned to her this time.

"Yeah. It's not in Klaus's." Damon looked at the hybrid suspiciously.

"But Klaus is the bad guy, Tyler. You know, why are you acting like some freaky, hybrid, slave minion." Caroline reminded her hybrid boyfriend and Damon realized something.

"Uh-oh." Damon mused as he got up from his place and both of the Saltzmans looked at him.

"What?" They asked in sync as Damon took a step forward.

"Klaus made me who I am, Caroline. I owe him everything." Tyler informed his girlfriend and Ashley raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, boy." Damon commented and Caroline turned to look at him.

"Okay, can we cool it on the commentary, please." Caroline directed her words at the elder Salvatore.

"What's going on?" Elena asked confused as the others. Damon moved and took a vervain dart from Alaric's desk which Ashley noticed it.

"I'm just going to go." Tyler was about to leave but Damon sped towards him and injected a vervain dart on Tyler's neck. Tyler collapsed on the round and everyone looked at Damon.

"What are you doing?!" Caroline moved to Tyler and knelt down.

"He's been sired." Damon responded and everyone got even more confused.

"What?" Alaric asked his best friend as he looked at the hybrid.

"Sired. He feels loyal to Klaus because Klaus's blood created him." Damon explained to them.

"Loyal how?" Ashley asked getting up from the desk.

"He'll seek acceptance from his master. It's really rare. But maybe not so much in hybrids." Damon informed the dark-haired girl and Caroline looked up to him.

"So how do I fix him?" Caroline asked Damon who looked down to her.

"Get a new boyfriend." He replied honestly with a bitter smile.

* * *

Ashley was leaning against a tree with a beer on her hand as everyone was doing their part of the plan. She took a sip from the drink and noticed that Damon was flirting with Rebekah while Elena was watching with jealousy. Ashley looked down and shook her head a little.

"Don't you think she's looking at them with jealousy?" She heard the youngest Salvatore say and she turned to look at him. Ashley didn't speak at all and she turned to look at them one more time.

"Shouldn't that hurt knowing she's falling for him?" Ashley asked as she took one more sip of the drink and Stefan shrugged his shoulders.

"No because I don't have any emotions to fell but I assure you Elena will get more jealous in the upcoming months." Ashley frowned at his words waiting for an explanation. "Well, you and my brother seem pretty close." Ashley opened her mouth to speak but he beat her to it. "I'm just saying the tables might turn."

"Me and Damon have a friendly banter." Ashley informed the green-eyed vampire who smiled at her.

"A flirty one is the right way to say what you two have. I know my brother, Ashley." Stefan walked away from her and walked towards Elena. Ashley didn't let his words bother her as her and Damon were the last things on her mind. She was drinking alone when a guy she never saw before came to her.

"Well, hello beautiful." The guy flirted with her and Ashley rolled her eyes at him.

"You don't have to tell me I'm beautiful, I know that." Ashley snapped at him while the guy chuckled at her words.

"Aren't you a feisty one?" He asked and raised his hands to shake with her. "I'm Felix." Ashley shook her hands with his and smiled a little.

"Ashley." She told him with a smile. "You really need to work with your pick-up lines." Felix chuckled as he looked down and then back at her.

"Yeah, you're the only one to tell me that. The other girls just laughed awkwardly and left." Ashley let out a laugh earning someone's attention. "How come I've never seen you in school before?"

"I used to live in California and I graduated from high school there. I moved here because of my uncle Alaric Saltzman." Felix opened his mouth realizing who she was.

"You're my history teacher's niece. I should be nice with you maybe you can convince him to give me an A." Ashley snorted a laugh.

"I don't think so, you have to earn it yourself." Felix rolled his eyes at her and she spoke again. "What year are you?"

"Senior. Next year to college." He replied and she nodded her head.

"You must know Elena, Caroline, Bonnie etc." He nodded his head indicating that he knew them.

"Since kindergarten. I used to have a crush on Bonnie in sixth grade but I was too scared to ask her out and now she is dating her best friend's younger brother." He wrinkled his nose a little and she snickered at his expression."You know now I'm not afraid to ask a girl out." Ashley knew he was indicating to her and she really liked this guy. He was nice and really hot. "Would you like to go out with me?"

"I think you're too young for me." Felix let out a scoff and looked at the girl.

"Age gap doesn't matter." He pointed out and she smiled at him.

"Okay, I'll go out with you." Felix smiled at the dark-haired girl and then looked down.

"It's a date. Meet me in the Grill tomorrow at six." Ashley nodded her head and she was about to say something but a guy called Felix. "I have to go. They're going to play beer pong and I happen to be a champion on that." Felix walked away and Ashley turned around just to be scared by the older Salvatore.

"I thought you had better taste." Damon said as Ashley rolled her eyes and took a sip from her beer.

"I thought you were going to distract Rebekah with your charms." She pointed out and Damon pointed his finger at his stomach. His shirt had a whole and it was covered with blood.

"Sexy Bex staked me as she knew what was I doing." Damon informed her and they both looked around. "And I can't see neither Elena or my brother. It seems our plan is working." Damon stopped and looked at the girl in front of him.

"So, you're going out with a high school guy. Isn't he too young for you?" Damon _tsk_ ed and Ashley rolled her brown eyes at him.

"Isn't Elena eleven times younger than you and you still fell in love with her." Damon pursued his lips and twitched his mouth at her.

"I hate you when you bring that up." Damon told her and Ashley gave him a smile.

"It's really transparent that might just blind you." Damon looked down and Ashley gave him the red cup. "I'm sorry but it's true. You're in love with her and it might get annoying sometimes. Not because you love her too much, it's because she is lying to everyone, you and herself and it sucks. If you really love her that much, you hold on to her and wait for the perfect moment." Ashley turned around and walked away from him. Damon narrowed his yes at the her and he sighed. She was right like she was most of the time.

* * *

 _ **It's a short update but I hope you guys like it. The next chapter will include Ashley and Felix's date, some dead people coming back and Ashley will learn something about her life that will shock her.**_

 _ **NicoleR85:**_ I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter and the way Ashley dealt with Rebekah and Klaus was rally interesting. Here is the update. Hope you enjoy it

 ** _galwidanatitud:_** I'm glad that you found the chapter entertaining and funny. You'll find out soon who is Travis Clinton and Ashley was thinking the same thing as you.

 **** ** _Guest:_** I'm glad you liked the chapter. I'm glad you like Ashley and her attitude. Here's the update.

 ** _ThisIsMeAndYou:_** There will be a a part that everyone will realize who Elena truly is and it will include the people who dislike her the most Ashley and Katherine. I still haven't decided what I'm going to do with the motel scene but I know for sure Elena and Damon won't kiss. I hope you enjoy this chapter


	9. Ghost World

**_Sorry for the delay on the update and I hope you guys enjoy this chapter :)_**

 ** _DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE VAMPIRE DIARIES, I JUST OWN MY CHARACTERS AND THEIR STORY LINES._**

* * *

 _"Well, aren't you a cougar?"_ Eva's voice beamed on Ashley's phone as she was cleaning tables on the Grill while talking to her best friend.

"He's like 9 months younger than me." Ashley pointed out to her best friend who was joking about her date.

 _"So, are you nervous?"_ Ashley rolled her eyes at her best friend's question.

"He's the one to be nervous. I'm one hot piece of ass." Ashley pointed out as she walked to the bar sitting on one of the bar stools.

 _"I just hope you get lucky."_ Ashley could hear her best friend giggle and she resisted to not roll her eyes.

"Yeah, no one is getting lucky. I haven't even told Ric that I'm going to a date tonight and he gets all protective. Plus, I don't sleep with guys in the first date. I wait for five or six dates." Ashley responded to her best friend's comment.

 _"Does anyone know about your date expect me and Hanna?"_ Eva asked and Ashley remembered that Damon eavesdropped on her conversation with Felix. She covered her face with her left hand as she though that Damon had told him the truth.

"Alaric's best friend knows as he eavesdropped on our conversation." Ashley replied to Eva as she rested her head at the bar.

 _"Is Alaric's best friend named Damon?"_ Ashley frowned at her best friend's words as how she knew Damon. _"Because of what Hanna told me when she ran into you in Chicago, he's gorgeous and totally hot. Plus, you had some flirty banter going on."_

"That flirty banter is just witty banter. Although, everyone in this town is hot. It's like some Calvin Klein underwear catalog." Ashley replied to her friend who whistled from the other line.

 _"I should come visit. Look at the eye candy around there."_ Ashley chuckled at her words and then she looked up at her manager who was motioning her to go take some orders.

"I have to go, my manager is calling me. Bye!" Ashley said goodbye to her best friend who was in Argentina for now.

 _"Bye."_ Ashley hanged up the phone and rushed to Robert with a notebook in her hand.

"No more phone-calls in your shift." He warned her and she mimicked as he walked away from her. She got outside and she looked at the first table to see Jeremy, Elena and her uncle. Something hurt inside her as she saw her uncle with two teenagers acting like a family. She knew that it was wrong for her to hold on something stupid like that as he was their only family left. Yet he was her family too and she hated to see how close he was with them. She shook her feelings and faked a smile at them.

"So, what can I get you all?" Ashley asked taking her pen and notebook. While Elena and Jeremy replied to her, Alaric could see right through that fake smile she often mustered on her face. "How about you Ric?" Her voice was way too casual and he knew that something was wrong.

"Bourbon please." He told his niece and she nodded her head at him. She walked away from them and gt inside the Grill. She told the bartender all of their orders and after a few minutes, he came with them. She walked to their tables and heard them talk.

"Well, Anna said it's like being here with all of us, only we can't see her or hear her. And she can't interact with anyone. She's all alone." She heard Jeremy say and frowned her eyebrows.

"I thought we got rid of the ghosts with handling Matt's sister?" Ashley asked as she placed their drinks in the table. Jeremy looked at the dark-haired woman in front of him.

"There is my other ex Anna." Jeremy replied awkwardly earning a look from Ashley.

"How many girlfriends of yours have died?" Ashley asked with a raised eyebrow and then she realized that she was acting insensitive by Jeremy's hurt look. "Sorry." She murmured an apology.

"Vicki could interact. She blew up my car." Alaric changed the subject and looked at Jeremy.

"It's good, she's dead." Ashley pointed out and everyone looked around. Ashley noticed that other people were sitting and she moved to them leaving her uncle and the Gilbert siblings.

* * *

Ashley now was inside behind the bar as she was waiting for her shift to be over and her to get ready. She saw one of the other bartenders walk by her.

"Can you please fill on me for a couple of minutes?" Ashley didn't say anything but only moved to the bar just to see that her uncle was already seated in one of the bar stools with a glass of bourbon.

"You should really stop drinking." She told her uncle as she eyed the bourbon glass in front of him before Alaric replied Damon walked up to them.

"We've got trouble." Damon informed them and they both looked up for a second. "Whiskey." He ordered Ashley and she went to get it for hi and placed it in front of him.

"What kind of trouble?" Alaric and Ashley asked in sync as Damon took a place on the bar stool next to him.

"Remember back when we conspired to kill Uncle werewolf Mason Lockwood?" Damon asked Alaric and Ashley looked at them with a raised eyebrow.

"You killed Tyler's uncle?" Ashley asked but the only response she got was Damon rolling his eyes followed by a snarky comment.

"Get over it, Buffy." He then turned to Alaric to talk to him. "I think he's still a little pissed."

"What do you mean pissed?" Ashley asked and Damon turned to look at her. "Isn't he dead?"

"Well, I kinda had a deja vu. I was tied up with chains in the exact chair where I tortured him and then killed him." Ashley frowned at his words. "What, he pissed me off, he was working with Katherine, he knew where the moonstone was and he tried to kill me and my baby bro." Just then Ashley noticed another figure suddenly appeared next to Damon. He looked slim and had an athletic and muscular thing going around him. He had a short dark brown hair and blue eyes. Ashley was way too shocked at how hot this man was and she kept staring at him until her uncle's voice brought her to her senses.

"Mason." Alaric said and Ashley eyed the ghost in front of her.

"God, I miss whiskey." Mason ignored Alaric taking Damon's glass of whiskey and drinking it. After he was done with that, he smashed the glass in Damon's forehead who let a scream in pain while the Ashley who was behind the bar flinched at it. Damon turned to her and her uncle and spoke.

"Told ya." Ashley and Alaric exchanged worried looks as Damon turned to look at Mason.

* * *

Mason was still with the three of them and none of them had said anything. The only noise that was heard was Damon texting to someone.

"I am never going to hear the end of that damn necklace." Damon indicated Damon to Elena's necklace that she used to keep around her neck. Mason looked at Damon who was drinking from a shot glass.

"One of you will pay for this, right? Cheers." Mason downed his shot and the others exchanged looks with each-other.

"Let's get to it. I killed you. You want revenge. Get in line." Damon said to the ghost next to him.

"Actually, I want an apology." The answer of Mason made Ashley and Alaric bust into laughter which made Damon glare at them.

"Good luck with that." Ashley commented and Damon turned to smile at her.

"Don't you have a date, Buffy?" Damon asked Ashley and she gaped at him while Alaric turned to look at her.

"You got a date with someone? Do I know him?" Alaric's protective mode was on and Ashley wanted to kill Damon for what he said while Mason and Damon kept talking, Ashley and Alaric got dragged into their own conversation.

"Yeah, he's kinda in your class." Alaric raised an eyebrow at her. "His name is Felix."

"Felix who?" Alaric asked and Ashley remembered that she didn't get his last name. She turned to smile at him who figured it out that she didn't know his last name.

"Good, you don't know his last name." Alaric used his sarcasm making her roll her eyes at him. She was about to say something but Mason's words made her not speak.

"Meet me at the old Lockwood cellar. Bring a shovel." Mason looked at the Saltzmans and then back at Damon. "Come alone." Ashley and Alaric both raised an eyebrow at Mason.

"What, you're going to bury me alive?" Damon asked the ghost who turned to look at Damon.

"Don't tempt me." He told the raven-haired vampire and he walked away. Damon turned to look at Alaric and his niece.

"Well, somebody's going to have fun." Ashley mused at Damon who smiled at her bitterly. "Vampires, check. Werewolves, check. Hybrids, check. Witches, check. Mediums, check. Ghosts, check. Mystic Falls for a small town has more supernatural creatures than humans." Just then the bartender came and touched Ashley in the shoulder making her turn.

"You can go now." He told her and she smiled at him. She waved at her uncle and his best friend and walked away from them to the changing room. She removed her apron and Mystic Grill shirt. She wore her her simple white shirt and closed her locker. She walked out of the changing room and soon out of the Grill. She walked to the apartment on foot and after a couple of minutes she arrived in her apartment. She decided to take a shower first and walked to her bathroom.

She got out of the shower with a towel wrapped around her. She walked to her bedroom and looked at the clothes that she was going to wear in the date. She was going to wear a white crop top that fitted her tightly around her body with really tight black skinny jeans and with a black leather jacket if it would get cold i the night. She wore her all of her clothes and then moved to her mirror. She started to blow dry her hair and after she was done, she began to curl her hair and after she was done, she moved to the make up.

She started to put some conditioner on her face just a little and a little highlighter on the cheeks. She then started to do her eye shadow going for something a little bit darker. After she was done with that she went to her lips and put some red velvet on them. After that, she put some mascara on her eyelashes and she looked at herself in the mirror satisfied with what she was seeing. She then looked down to her feet and remembered that she still didn't decided about her shoes. She sighed getting up from her chair in front of the mirror. She walked to her closet and searched for shoes but she couldn't find any. She then remembered her boots with heel that really looked good. She walked to the a closet that was in the hallway. She opened it and saw two boxes in the top drawer and when had written _Ashley's stuff._ She jumped to get but she wasn't tall enough. She snorted but she jumped one more time not only dropping her box to the floor but another one. She groaned as she knelt down. She looked at the other box and saw that most things had fallen from it. She started to collect each one of them but she stopped as she saw a photo that she never saw in her life.

The photo was taken in front of her old house in California but there was something unusual about it. In the photo, there was Alaric in his teenage years with a smile across his face, next to him was her mother who looked about 25 and was carrying a baby who wasn't looking at the camera like the rest of them. She was looking at the ground and Ashley knew that it was her from the previous photo she saw. And there was her father with a smile across his face but her father wasn't the odd one. It was the kid that he was carrying that made her frown. It was definitely a boy and he had brown hair. He was wearing a shirt with Popeye on it and it was white combined with a black pants and white sneakers. He was smiling and waving with his hand. Something that really was eerie was that the boy looked a lot like her father. She looked at the photo for a couple of minutes and looked at the clock that it was near time for her date. She closed the box but didn't leave the photo in it, she put it in her jacket's pocket. She got up and put the box in its place and after that, she looked through her box and found her boots and wondered why did she put them there. She put her box in its place and looked at the top drawer. _Why didn't they tell her? Was he her older brother?_

Ashley sighed and put her boots on, her mind never leaving what she saw a couple of seconds ago. She walked to the door grabbing her phone and keys on the table nearby.

* * *

She arrived a little late but either way, she found him waiting outside of the Grill. He was wearing a blue shirt and he had rolled his sleeves. He was wearing blue jeans and white Nike. He spotted her and he smiled at her. He walked over to her checking her out.

"You look beautiful." He complimented her and she smiled. He didn't look at her face

"Eyes are up here." She teased him and he rolled his eyes at her attitude. "So, what are we going to do?"

"Well at first, we're going to eat at the Grill and then join the town in this stupid Illumination Night." He looked at the Town Square and Ashley chuckled at him.

"Let me guess you hate this town events too?" She asked as they walked back inside the Grill and he nodded his head.

"Yeah, it's good that I'm not invited into the Founder's Parties." He replied and she frowned her eyebrows at him.

"Why not? They seem to love them." They sat in one of the tables and he shrugged his shoulders.

"Well, my family is not a founding family. We came here in the 40s while the town was founded in 1800s. To say the truth, the invites have become more frequent with my dad's donation."

"What is your last name?" Ashley asked as a waitress named Wendy walked towards them.

"Reynolds." He replied to her and the waitress asked them for their orders. After they ordered, she turned to look at him

"Like Ryan Reynolds?" She asked and he nodded his head at her.

"Seems like I'm going to be overshadowed by Ryan Reynolds for the rest of my life." He joked and she chuckled at him and he had to say that he loved her smile.

"Well, I'm the most famous Saltzman." She joked and he shook his head.

"You're uncle is the most famous Saltzman as he is a teacher." He pointed out and she rolled her eyes at him. The waitress came with their drinks and told them that the food will come soon. "So, what brought you in a boring town called Mystic Falls?"

"Well, my uncle is living here and I wanted to have a fresh start." Felix raised an eyebrow at her and she continued. "Boyfriend drama." Felix hummed and looked at he.

"You're an only child?" Until that moment, she kept her mid off that photo she found in the apartment and Ashley nodded her head not knowing how to answer it.

"Yeah." She replied with a low voice that Felix didn't notice. "How about you?" She asked as she took a sip from her drink.

"I have five other siblings. Three sisters and two brothers." He replied and Ashley almost choked on her drink at his response. "We just seem to grow like weeds."

"Or your parents are just not too careful." Felix widened his eyes in shock at her response and she smiled at him.

"That's a way to put it and disgust me." He joked and she shrugged her shoulders but a hint of smile appeared on her face. "Where did you live exactly?" He took his drink taking a sip from it

"Suburban L.A." She replied and he was the one to choke now.

"You left L.A for a town like Mystic Falls. Wow, you must really care about your uncle." He commented as he started to drink from hid drink. Ashley just nodded her head and her eyes moved to the pocket that she had left the photo.

* * *

Felix and Ashley were now on the Town Square waiting for the lighting ceremony and Ashley was laughing at something that Felix said.

"You mother named one of your sisters Arya because of the character from the book series _A Song Of Ice and Fire. Y_ our mom is cool because I happen to love the book series and I'm so excited they're going to make it a TV Show soon. It will air next year." Ashley groaned and he smiled at her.

"You're going to watch the show even through you know what's going to happen?" He asked and she nodded her head at him.

"I can make someone watch it with me and just spoil it." Felix laughed at her and he knew he really liked her from her attitude to her appearance. Just then someone bumped shoulders with Ashley hurting her a little.

"Watch where are you going, buddy." She told the man and he turned to look at the girl that he just bump shoulders with.

"Excuse me." The man raised an eyebrow at the feisty dark-haired girl and she wasn't going to let him do that to her.

"Are you deaf? Because I just said to watch where are you going." She repeated herself with her usual bitchy tune. Felix just stood there amused at her reaction.

"Next time, don't stand in my way and maybe I can watch where am I going." The man snapped at her and Ashley narrowed her eyes at him.

"Really, was I the one to push you?" She asked taking a step forward and Felix decided to step up before something happened.

"Come on Ashley. Let him go." He told her but she didn't budge and neither did the man in front of her.

"You can tell your girl here to keep her mouth shut before it could bring her some trouble." He told Felix and Ashley groaned at the man's words.

"If you want to tell me that, you can say it in my face." The man looked like he wanted to kill her in that moment but Ashley didn't show any sign of fear.

"Robert, come on!" They heard someone call the man's name and he left but he glared at Ashley who didn't mover from her place.

"Aren't you feisty?" Felix commented and Ashley turned to look at him still a little angry at Robert.

"I just hate people like him. Coming in my way." She told him and he laughed a little.

"Well, something was off with him for sure. I've never seen that man in my entire life and this is a small town. Everyone knows everyone." Both of them turned to look into the crowd for the man but didn't found him. Just then they heard Carol Lockwood speaking with a microphone in front of her.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Mr. Fell seems to have been detained, so the history department's very own Mr. Saltzman has agreed to fill in." Ashley raised an eyebrow at the Mayor's words but she ended up applauding with the crow. Alaric walked to the stage and leaned a little to speak. He began to speak and Felix spoke up.

"He's a really nice guy." Ashley turned to look at the boy next to him and she shrugged her shoulders.

"Are you saying that because that you're on a date with his niece?" She asked with a smile and Felix chuckled a little.

"Yeah and that I need an A in his class." He said and Ashley smiled and then she turned her attention to her uncle.

"On behalf of Mystic Falls High School Historical Society, let's light 'em up!" The lanterns that were hanging above everyone's head, Ashley smiled as she looked up but the happy moment was soon ended as a scream was heard. Ashley looked up at a tree and she saw a man covered in blood and probably dead hanging in the tree. She gasped while Felix had an horrified look.

Alaric saw the body of Tobias Fell and he saw his niece and her date he presumed look at it. He rushed to their side and caught Ashley's arms making her almost attack him. She stopped as she saw her uncle right beside her and all she could think was the photo that was in her jacket's pocket.

"Ashley, you two need to go. Something is _wrong_ here." He emphasized the 'wrong' and Ashley completely understood that it was better for her and Felix to go. "Good to see you, Felix."

"You too, ." Felix said with a smile and Ashley took his hand to lead him out of the crowd and they walked away. Felix looked at Ashley confused of the situations.

"What is actually going on?" He asked her and Ashley looked at the road.

"My uncle is just worried that something might happen. He's really protective." She lied to him knowing that there was supernatural involved with what happened to Tobias Fell back there.

"That's gonna be trouble." Felix added and Ashley turned to look at him.

"Gonna be trouble?" She asked as he referred to the future and he was taken back by her question.

"well, I hope there's gonna be a second date and another one after that." He replied a little awkwardly making her chuckle. He scratched the back of his neck and she smiled at him.

"Well, there's gonna be a second date because I happen to like you." She told him and he smiled at her. He was handsome she could give you that. He was tall, dark and handsome. He had dark brown hair that were almost black but his eyes made her more interested. He had blue eyes but as she looked at Felix's eyes, she though about someone who had icy blue eyes. She shook the thought out of her head and smiled at Felix.

"Can you drive me home?" She asked him with a smile and he nodded his head.

* * *

Ashley walked to her apartment as her date with Felix was over. She walked to the couch and slumped on it. She kicked off her boots and turned on the T.V.

She liked Felix a lot and he was a really nice guy who could make her laugh. Yet she hated in that moment that she was looking at him, she thought of someone else. Maybe it was the blue eyes but she doubted herself of why did she think of the raven-haired vampire as she looked at her date. She decided to shake it off and watch T.V. But that wasn't the only thing that bugged her. It was the photo that she had inside her pocket that was making her question everything in her life.

 _Who was the boy in that photo? Was he her brother? Why didn't anyone mention him to her? Why didn't her mother tell? Why never found any photo of him until now? What happened to him? Did he die with her father in that car accident? Was that really what happened to her father? Or was it just a lie?_

It had been an hour since Ashley came back from her dead and sh couldn't take it anymore. She had to go find out what really happened to the boy she presumed. She picked up the phone and dialed her uncle's number.

 _"Hello?"_ He asked but Ashley didn't have any time for greetings. She was in a hurry and really wasn't in the mood.

"Where are you?" She asked him as got up from the couch and looked for the shoes she just kicked. She took one and wore it and then found the other one.

 _"Heading to the the Lockwood cellars."_ He replied and Ashley knew exactly where he was. When she went to jog with her uncle one time, he told her the place before staring to jog again. Ashley hanged up the phone and she walked out of the apartment. She didn't have a car but she didn't mind running a little although she had heels on. Alaric called while she ran towards the Lockwood cellar but she didn't answer. After a couple of minutes, she walked to Lockwood cellar and descended the stairs just to find Alaric and Damon there.

"I knew you would come." Alaric said to her and she shrugged her shoulders while Damon eyes the girl looking at what she was wearing.

"What is going on?" Ashley asked and Alaric turned his flashlight on and she saw a hole in the wall.

"Me and Mason found this secret tunnel." Damon replied and Alaric got in there. Damon motioned to Ashley to follow her uncle which she did. Damon was the last one to enter. As they walked further, Damon's eyes moved to Ashley's back as the jeans she was wearing showed her back perfectly. Damon looked away as he felt guilty of looking at his best friend's niece like that. Yet he looked at her again but this time he was looking curious she was looking at the walls that surrounded them. Just then they arrived the place that he couldn't reach anymore and he looked as Ashley and Alaric stepped further while he was stuck out. Ashley turned to look at him at why he was stopping.

"I can't go past it." Damon informed her and she gave him a look that he couldn't read before she reached her phone and turned her flashlight on. "So was Mason screwing with me, or is there something in there?" Ashley and Alaric looked around the room with their flashlights as Damon looked at them. "Ric. Ric? Buffy?" Ashley was speechless as she saw symbols and drawings surround the walls as she had never seen those things before.

"I found something." Alaric spoke up as Ashley took a step forward to look at the drawings.

"What is it?" Damon asked as he tried to look but he couldn't.

"I have no idea..." Alaric trailed off as he kept staring at the drawings in front of him.

* * *

Ashley had waited for Damon to leave the apartment for her to question Alaric about the photo. Damon didn't stay long and Ashley walked to look at Alaric.

"Have any idea what the drawings are?" Ashley asked as she walked towards her uncle who shook his head and turned to look at her. "You probably have some idea about something." Alaric frowned at his niece and Ashley pulled something from her jacket pocket. "Can you please shed me some light on this photo?" Ashley showed Alaric the picture and Alaric stood there totally unprepared and speechless. He knew that she would have found about it but not right now. He looked up at his niece who looked nothing but angry at him. "Hmm?" Alaric gulped down as he stared at his niece who crossed her arms.

* * *

 _ **Sorry for the late update but I really didn't have the time and I really hope you enjoy it. Thank you fro your favorites and follows too. Next chapter, Ashley will learn the truth and there are gonna be some Dashley (Damon and Ashley. I think that's their ship name.) moments ;). Felix is played by**_ ** _Brant Daugherty. He plays Noel Kahn in Pretty Little Liars for the people who watch the show. He is way more a decent person that Noel who in the show is kinda neutral._**

 _ **NicoleR85:**_ I'm glad that you enjoyed the chapter and I hope you enjoy this chapter too.

 ** _galwidanatitud:_** Yeah and it won't be the last time either that she will make him analyze that. We found out a little about Felix this episode and we will find more on the next ones to come.

 ** _BrittStar1199:_** There is not much Damon and Ashley in this chapter but the other one will be full with them with their banter.

 ** _ThisIsMeAndYou:_** They aren't going to be friends but they will tolerate each-other for the sake of the people around them. But there is gonna be a little rivalry but is not all centered on who gets Damon.

 _ **I hope you guys all enjoy this chapter and the other one will be updated the next Saturday.**_


	10. Ordinary People

_**I'm so so sorry for the late update but I was in holidays with my family and then I immediately went back to school which is hell like always.**_

 _ **DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE VAMPIRE DIARIES, I JUST OWN MY CHARACTERS AND THEIR STORY LINES.**_

* * *

Ashley was pacing all around the room with the information Alaric had just gave her. She was utterly shocked and betrayed and Alaric could see her fury. He didn't say anything knowing better. He only followed her with his eyes as she moved around the apartment. He couldn't see her face as her hair were covering it but she seemed to be angry by her moves. She stopped and turned to look at Alaric who wished that she didn't look at him.

"Why?" She asked with a low voice not trying to show the anger inside her. "Why did you all lie to me?" Alaric sighed and looked at his niece who was eyeing him angrily.

"Your mother was devastated what happened to Adam and Sawyer. She wanted to leave all that behind and you were her fresh start." He told her and Ashley shook her head in disbelief.

"All my life I thought that my dad died in a car accident when he was shot by the people who kidnapped my brother." She said in disbelief and then scoffed. "Did you all thought I wouldn't find out! That I had a brother and both him and dad were killed by the same people! How stupid did you all think I am?"

"Please, listen..." Ashley cut him off furious with him and everything around her.

"I have listened to you for half an hour as you told me about dad and Sawyer. About how my big brother were kidnapped and they asked for money. And I waited even though I knew that something will end up badly, I wanted to end goo but I only got my father being shot and by brother who was only four being killed."

"I know it hurts, Ashley. I always wanted to tell you bot Violet always told me not to utter a word about it. I think she was going to tell you one day but she was diagnosed with tumor and she wanted to spend the last moments with you for you to love her, not hate her." Alaric told her and Ashley stood there in silence for a couple of moments. It was an awkward one and a hurtful one. The betrayal on Ashley's eyes was evident to Alaric.

"Did they ever found the people who did it?" She asked him and he shook his head. She let out a deep breath in frustration. _It wasn't right,_ she thought to herself about the whole situation. She looked up and saw that her uncle seemed guilty but in her opinion, he should have been but somehow she felt something in the pit of her stomach. She looked away and looked at the clock to see that it was midnight and late.

"You should go, Ric. It's late." She pointed out and her uncle only nodded her head a little. He hesitated for a split second but he took the last step towards the door. Ashley didn't move until her uncle walked away from her. She looked down and her eyes moved to the photo which seemed to haunt her thoughts in her entire day. She sighed deeply and tried not to cry as she looked at the smiling faces of her family in that photo. And now only her uncle and she were alive while the others were gone. She took the photo and put into a drawer which she closed. She walked to the bathroom and cleaned off her make-up. After she was done, she went to her room and wore a blue tank top and white shorts. She slide inside her sheets and turned off the light. She stared at the ceiling numbly before she fell into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

"Come on, Buffy! Wake up!" She heard someone say to her with a really loud voice but Ashley moved the other way around. And just then her drapes were open and the sun almost blinded her eyes. She groaned and grabbed the pillow. She tried to throw it to the person who had woke her up but she failed miserably. "Bad aim for a vampire slayer."

"Shut up, Damon." Ashley told the raven-haired vampire as she opened her eyes. She sat up and scratched her eyes slowly. She then felt someone lay next to her or rather Damon. She looked at him who had a smile on his face. "Don't you have other people to piss off?"

"You're coming with me." Damon told her and she scrunched her nose at his words.

"I would like to spend my day off alone or better without you annoying me." She pulled the sheets over her head but Damon pulled them away from her making her huff at him.

"Come on, shouldn't you be the one up as you are a vampire slayer and as we have something against the oldest vampires." She sat up and looked at Damon who was now standing with his on her bed.

"They are many people in this town who might want to help you." She pointed out and Damon gave her a serious look. "Oh, right! Nobody likes you."

"But you do." Damon leaned up closer to her making Ashley frown at him. "I think you do more than like me." She scoffed at his face but Damon was still smirking.

"You are mixing your dreams with real life." She pointed out but Damon only got closer to her but Ashley didn't seem phased by it all.

"Really? You never felt the need to kiss me. I'm telling you Buffy, I'm hell of a good kisser." He told her and Ashley was afraid that if she rolled her eyes one more time, they would fall out. Damon got closer and then something inside of Ashley changed. Her eyes wandered to his blue eyes that could pierce anyone making her dazed. _Don't you dare,_ she thought as she didn't want her body to betray her mind. _He is your uncle's best friend._ Ashley hid her thoughts by pushing Damon away from her and getting up from the bed. She heard Damon chuckle under his breath and she turned to him.

"Why don't you get Alaric or Elena to come with you?" She asked and she swallowed a little with the mention of her uncle. It reminded of yesterday, a memory she wanted to ignore for a while.

"Well, they already left and they're quite boring." He told her and she crossed her arms over her chest.

"So I am entertainment for you?" She asked in disbelief but a small smile was on her face.

"You could be more." He suggested and Ashley glared at him before she spoke up.

"Can you try not to make everything leading up to sex?" She asked him and Damon moved closer to her. Really close again making her step back.

"I could stop if you..." He trailed off as he got closer to the feisty dark haired girl. Ashley froze for a second before she got her head clear.

"You're such a perv." She told him making Damon chuckle a little at her words. He stepped back and Ashley dropped her arms down. "Get out, so I can get dressed." Damon did as she obeyed him and she saw as he opened the door and then shut it. She sighed in relief and tried to concentrate on what was she going to wear.

* * *

Damon had driven them with his car to the Lockwood Cellar and now they were walking them without any light. Ashley was being careful to look where she was going.

"This is so creepy." She pointed out as she looked around the tunnel and then she heard a voice. A familiar one to be exact.

"So, the Lockwoods really have no idea that these tunnels are underneath their property?" She heard Elena ask someone who she assumed to be her uncle making her stomach drop.

"Careful where you shine that thing. Bats hate the light." Ashley took a deep breath when she heard her uncle's voice. She and Damon neared Elena and Alaric closer and Damon now was standing behind Elena.

"Wait, what?" Elena asked shocked at Alaric's words.

"Elena." Damon called her voice with a hushed tone making Elena turn around and jump because of him. "Scaredy cat." He commented making her glare at him.

"Ah! God, Damon!" She whined and Ashley smiled from behind before she spoke up.

"Ignore him, that's what must people do." She told Elena and she saw her uncle turn to look at her. He didn't say anything and neither did she making Damon notice something was going on.

"So, you really can't get in?" Elena asked Damon who shook his head as they kept walking.

"No. Seems even the ancient Lockwoods were anti-vampire." Damon replied and Ashley scoffed at him making him look at her.

"Can you blame them?" She asked and Damon glared at the dark haired girl who didn't say anything else.

"What do you mean, ancient?" Elena asked and Damon turned to loom at her this time while Ashley smiled in satisfactory.

"See for yourself." Damon gestured forwards and they walked to the part where the vampires couldn't pass. Elena shined her flashlight on the walls and saw the drawings.

"What is all this?" Elena asked and yet again Ashley looked at the drawings with interest.

"Well, as far as I can tell, it's a story. In simple, archaeological terms, it's a really, really old story." Alaric explained and he pointed to the wall. "That right there, is the moon cycle." He pointed to another drawing which Ashley looked at. "A man, a wolf."

"A werewolf." Elena stated while Ashley only looked at the drawings on the walls.

"Yeah, it's the "Lockwood Diaries: Pictionary-Style."" Damon joked making Ashley smile at his comment while the other two didn't.

"I don't understand. I thought the Lockwoods came here with the Original Founders in the 1860s." Elena pointed out confused while Ashley turned to look at other drawings.

"I don't know. Maybe the Lockwoods did, but according to this wall, these werewolves have been here a lot longer than that." Damon told her and Ashley looked at him while he spoke. _Mystic Falls had a rich history,_ she thought to herself as she turned her eyes away from him.

"How long?" Ashley asked Damon as she felt her uncle's eyes on her.

"Long. It gets better. Show them, Ric." Damon said and both Ashley and Elena put their focus on Alaric.

"Names. They're not native. They're written in Runic, a Viking script." Alaric explained and Ashley frowned at his statement.

"Wow, this town has a lot of history since the medieval times. So much for a small one." Ashley commented and the others only nodded at her.

"This name here, I translated it and it reads Niklaus." Alaric stated and Ashley was stunned at the revelation.

"Klaus..." Elena gathered and Ashley looked at the other writings won the wall.

"And Elijah...and Rebekah." Alaric pointed out and Ashley got more interested in the writings on the wall.

"These are the names of the Original Family?" Elena asked and Ashley gave her a 'duh' expression.

"Carved into a cave that's been here since way before the founding of Mystic Falls. Or even the entire New World, for that matter." Alaric explained and Ashley was just amazed by the whole cave.

"Okay, this has gotta be one of Klaus's fakes." Elena stated but Ashley wasn't agreeing with her.

"That's what I said." Damon spoke up and Ashley looked down.

"You really think he came up to a place that you had to ruin first by entering just to fake something?" She asked the two other but they didn't get to speak because Alaric spoke up.

"That could be true, except the last name up here made us think otherwise." Alaric pointed out to them and Ashley's head snapped into his direction yet she hesitated to speak up.

"What's the name?" Elena asked instead of Ashley and Ashley took a step forward to get a better look.

"Mikael." Alaric replied to her and Ashley frowned at the name. _Where did I hear that name?_

"Mikael...Mikael, as in, the vampire hunter who knows how to kill Klaus?" Elena asked and Ashley bit her lip as she thought about him.

"Yep. I now like to call him "Papa Original"." Damon said and Ashley gaped in shock. Klaus's father wanted to kill him. Alaric took his camera from his back and he started to take photos of the drawings while Ashley looked at the walls.

* * *

Alaric and Elena were looking at the photos on the desk while Ashley and Damon were training. It was mostly Damon making joked and Ashley snapping at him as fast as she could.

"These images tell a story...to learn the story, you have to decipher these images." Alaric spoke from his place while Ashley tried to kick Damon who was faster than her. She then tried to stake him but he caught her stake.

"Sloppy." He told her and Ashley glared at him before she said anything.

"Shut up!" Elena turned to look at Damon and Ashley noticing a little smirk playing on Damon's face. She couldn't help but feel jealous so she turned around.

""Ghost of Christmas Past" Mason Lockwood set up the cave and led us to a weapon that can kill Klaus." Damon said as Ashley went to strike it but he caught her arm with ease. She freed it with ease and then she moved to kick him.

"Yeah, but doesn't Mikael have a weapon?" Elena asked Damon who caught Ashley's kick. Ashley stepped back and sighed in frustration.

"Yes." Ashley went to stake him but Damon caught it. She went to push it but Damon didn't let her move at all. Her eyes locked with Damon's as she tried to attack him. "Which probably means the wall will lead us to Mikael, who we have already found...and lost." Damon spun Ashley around making her back press his front. "Bang! You're dead!" Damon went to nibble on Ashley's neck but she pushed him away from her.

"These images at the very least might tell us what that weapon is." Alaric pointed out and Ashley and Damon shared a look with each-other.

"Then all we have to do is find out what they mean." Ashley scoffed at Elena's words and Damon seemed just as irritated with their thinking.

"Fine! Fine! If me and Buffy are being irritatingly optimistic like you two...how do you suppose we do that?" Damon asked Elena and Ashley crossed her arms over her chest.

"Well, if the story is about the Original Family living here, then we go straight to the source!" Ashley put the dots together and looked at Elena in disbelief.

"Do you really think Rebekah is going to tell you everything?" She asked and Elena shrugged her shoulders.

"Elena is right, I think that Barbie Klaus is desperate to talk to someone." Damon pointed out and Ashley rolled her eyes at his comment.

"Okay then, Elena is going to talk to Rebekah and I have to go because I have to go to the school." Alaric turned to look at his niece and best friend. "You two will continue the research, right? I will be quick by the way." Alaric asked and the two others nodded their heads. After Alaric and Elena left, Damon turned to Ashley who seemed focused on the photos.

"What is going on?" Damon asked her and Ashley's head snapped towards him.

"What do you mean?" She asked casually as she straightened up to look at him better.

"You and Ric are acting weird. You don't say anything directly at each-other. So what happened?" Ashley scoffed at him but Damon saw something in her eyes that he couldn't put a finger on it.

"You're delusional." She told him looking away from him and Damon scowled at her.

"I thought you were a good liar." He pointed out and Ashley held a groan to come from her. "I saw it today and yesterday while we were in the cave, you acted weirdly."

"Okay, some family problems." She finally admitted and she waited for Damon to have a smug smile on his face but he looked at her with sincerity.

"What kind of problems?" Damon asked with worry and genuine concern in his voice taking back Ashley who then stared at the vampire in front of her.

"Family. Like everyone else does." She responded and turned her attention towards the photos.

"You learned about your brother?" Damon asked and Ashley looked at him abruptly as soon as he said that. "A day before you came into Mystic Falls, me and Ric went to the Grill and he got drunk. He seemed to be nervous so he drank and drank until he got wasted. He began to blab and your brother slipped out of his tongue. Tomorrow, he didn't remember anything only that he had a massive hangover and he needed to sober up to get you." Ashley didn't say anything but then she remembered Damon asking her in Chicago if she wanted a sibling and he knew back then.

"They all lied to me, Damon. And it wasn't just a simple lie, they lied about my dad's death and that I had a brother. I just can't let it go." She told him and she couldn't stop herself as she felt that she was opening to someone without control. "It sucks."

"Life sucks." Damon summarized making Ashley smile a little. "Sorry I'm not good at advises, better at sarcastic comments though."

"I have noticed that." She pointed out and Damon smiled at her which she returned. there was a moment of understanding between two of them, not a witty banter or comebacks from both of the sides. Just a simple understatement that Ashley actually enjoyed.

* * *

Damon had gone to check on Stefan who was locked inside the old Forbes jail cell. Ashley looked at a drawing and saw a round shape figure that looked like a sun so she took a post-it and wrote 'vampire' on it. She put it on the photo and then she moved one and looked at a moon. She took another post-it and wrote 'werewolf' on it. She then moved to her laptop and searched for werewolf. She was reading some mythology when the door snapped open. She heard the voices of both Elena and Alaric but she continued to read on what she found in the Internet.

"Rebekah will come around." Elena told Alaric and they moved to the table that Ashley was doing research on. Alaric was impressed at his niece work as he looked down. A proud smile was on his face.

"You're sure about that? I mean a thousand-year-old vampire, I'm sure, has learned the art of patience." Alaric asked Elena in disbelief and before Elena could reply, she got a text. Elena smiled and she showed it to Alaric.

"She's a thousand-year-old vampire, who's joined the cheerleader squad...There is a whole different set of rules that play here, Ric. I got this." Elena said confidently and she moved to leave.

"Good luck." Ashley called before Elena left and then they both heard the door shutting. There was an awkward silence before Alaric spoke to his niece.

"What did you find?" He asked her and she looked up at him. She got up from her seat and moved close to photos.

"I found other names. The other sibling. There is Finn." She pointed out the photograph where the Runic name was written. "And there is Kol." She pointed to the other one which Alaric followed with his line of vision. "But there is one more Henrik but as Elena mentioned before that two of the Originals siblings died. One in the Old World and one in the New World. I think Henrik might be the one who died in the New World but I couldn't find their mother. I think I missed something."

"You did a good job, Ashley." Alaric stated proudly and Ashley tried to hide the smile on her face at his words.

"It seemed like werewolves were before vampires. As vampires were created with the Original family turning into one. I still feel like something is missing. Like more history." She then showed him another photograph. "This got me thinking all day. I can't put a finger on it."

"You should rest. I will continued to do the other work." Alaric told Ashley but she shook her head at him.

"No, I'm going to continue this but I think you should call Bonnie to learn more about the whole situation. There might be something in her cookbook." Alaric frowned at her last word in confusion. "Damon told me that a grimoire is basically a witch's cookbook."

"Ashley, about yesterday..." Alaric began to say but Ashley cut him off by raising her left hand.

"I know that it must be hard to you too but you need to give me time to think." Alaric only nodded his head in understatement to her and she sighed in relief.

"You know I'm sorry." He told her and she nodded her head at him.

"I know, Ric. I know." She assured him and Alaric got his phone and moved to call Bonnie. Ashley started to read about the whole mythology thing with werewolves. She heard Alaric's voice but she kept her focus on what she was reading.

"Bonnie is coming here and I asked to bring the necklace." Ashley looked up in confusion at his words. "That symbol reminded me of Elena's necklace." Ashley let out an 'oh' before she went to her research. She and Alaric were working soundlessly until the bell rang. Alaric went to open the door and Ashley closed the laptop after she finished her research.

"I brought you the necklace that wouldn't die." Ashley looked up to see Bonnie with the necklace on her hands. Ashley felt sympathetic towards her as she heard that Jeremy had kissed Anna who was a ghost.

"Hi, Bonnie." Ashley said walking up to Bonnie and Bonnie turned to smile at the girl.

"Hey, Ashley." Bonnie greeted nicely but there was sadness in her voice but Ashley didn't say anything.

"Listen, Jeremy is an idiot. And I know this with certainty, because I was once a Jeremy. Trust me, we learn...eventually..." Alaric trailed off and Ashley hid her smile at Alaric's words. He held up the photo that Ashley showed him last and Bonnie looked at it. "So, me and Ashley have been staring at this image all day, wondering why it looked so familiar." He then held up the necklace that matched the symbol. Ashley gaped in amazement as she looked at the necklace and the photo. "I was right."

"It's the same design." Bonnie pointed out the obvious and Ashley looked at the necklace.

"So, your grandmother said this necklace belonged to the witch that put the hybrid curse on Klaus, right? Well, this symbol is repeated all across the wall. I've been trying to figure out what it meant. And now I know..." Alaric grabbed a post-it and wrote 'witch' on it. He then placed it on the photo and Bonnie looked at Ashley who was looking at the other photos trying to connect the dots.

* * *

Ashley was alone in the apartment and it was night right now. Alaric, Bonnie and Elena had gone to the cave but Ashley decided not to go as she was too tired to. She was in the apartment alone scrolling through the channels with a beer on her hand. She was so focused that she didn't notice someone steal the beer from her hands.

"You're underage." She heard Damon's voice making her almost jump off the couch. She caught her breath and looked at the smirking vampire.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" She asked him as she seated herself again on the couch. Damon took a swing of the beer and turned to look at her.

"I enjoy bourbon though but beer is fine too." Damon commented and Ashley was glaring at him without breaking contact.

"You could have gotten a beer for yourself in the fridge." She told him and before she could say anything else, Damon was extending her a beer bottle which was open and full. Ashley took it with a scowl and took a swing.

"We got Mikael." He told her and she almost choked on her drink.

"What? How?" She asked confused as she put the beer down on the table.

"No idea. I guess Katherine came through. Plan's in motion." Damon replied to her and she looked at him with skeptical look.

"Heard that you freed Stefan? Did Elena yell at you?" She asked with a little smirk but Damon looked at her with serious eyes.

"I haven't seen her so she can't do that." Damon pointed out and Ashley let out an 'oh' not knowing what to say to Damon. "The plan with Stefan backfired. He's an even bigger dick than ever...just now, he's a dick that's on our side."

"It happens." She assured with a shrug as she looked at the T.V.

"You know, I think Mikael's weapon is a stake, 'cause he mentioned something about it..." Damon told her and Ashley turned to look at him.

"Well, they must have carved it from the white oak tree before they burned it down." Ashley pointed out and Damon hummed before he spoke to her.

"So I was right. After all that, the wall lead us to Mikael." Damon pointed out and Ashley nodded her head at him.

"After all what I learned today with the whole Original family history, I learned that family is more important than I already thought." Damon turned to look at her as he knew where she was going.

"Well, you should tell that to my brother." Damon pointed out to her and Ashley sighed a little.

"You know what I think. I think that the person who will rescue Stefan isn't Elena, it's you. You're his only family left just like Alaric and my grandparents are what I have left." She pointed out and Damon looked down not wanting to meet her eyes.

"You talked to him more?" He asked and she nodded her head as a reply. She moved to grab her deer and drank it.

"He apologized and I told him that I just need time." She replied and Damon only nodded his head.

"Heard that you did most of the research? Good job, Buffy. Or should I call you nerdy." He told her and Ashley let out a scoff.

"It was to save all of our asses. You should be glad." She told him as she took another swing from her beer.

"I am." He simply told her and Ashley looked at him. He was a good guy deep down his bad boy appearance but she reminded herself that he was Alaric's best friend. And possibly her future close friend. Nothing more. Ashley turned to look at the T.V at a comedy film while Damon's eyes lingered on her face.

He could have gone to talk to Elena but instead he chose to come talk to Ashley. He didn't know why but he enjoyed the company of Ashley. Especially tonight after the fight with Stefan. He looked at her and saw her laugh at something on T.V. She was different in so many ways and he liked that. He turned to look at the T.V but he eyed her more than a couple of times during the night. And so did she with him.

* * *

 _ **Here is the long waited update and I'm so sorry but I just didn't have the time to do it. Today was my free day so I wrote it as fast as I could. We have many Dashley moments in this chapter and I hope you guys enjoy it. Next chapter, it will be the homecoming dance and Ashley is gonna meet a certain character that I love very much.**_

 _ **Persephone Vulturi Uchiha:**_ First of all, your review isn't showing on the review section which is weird but either way thank you for reviewing and cool name by the way. I'm glad that you like that Ashley is Alaric's family because I tried to do something different. I'm glad that you like Dashley and their ship name. There are many parts in this chapter with the two of them and there will be more in the upcoming chapters. We will have lots of confrontations with Elena and Ashley as the stories progresses. We would see more of Ashley and Alaric. Plus, we will have a lot of flashbacks of her previous life before coming to Mystic Falls. I hope you enjoy the chapter.

 ** _galwidanatitud:_** A lot of secrets that are revealed in this chapter and they will be revealed in the later chapters. Sorry for the cliffhanger and the long wait.

 _ **Amy:**_ I'm glad that you loved the chapter. I hope you enjoy this one too and I hope you like the answer.

 ** _BrittStar1199:_** Yeah, it sure is and I hope you'll enjoy it.

 ** _NicoleR85:_** I'm glad taht you liked the chapter. I hope you will like the whole photo explanation.

 _ **Guys, I'm thinking to do another story. It might be a another Vampire Dairies one, a Glee one, an One Tree Hill one, another Game of Thrones, PLL, Supernatural etc. You guys decided, I will make a poll tonight.**_


	11. Homecoming

_**I'm so sorry for the late update but I've been busy and I had a little bit of writer's block. So here is the update.**_

 _ **DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE VAMPIRE DIARIES, I JUST OWN MY CHARACTERS AND THEIR STORY LINES.**_

* * *

Ashley was walking with her tray to the bar as she finished giving people their orders. She moved around the bar and sat on a stool nearby. She sighed and looked at her phone waiting for a message or a phone call from a Scooby gang but she got nothing at all. They were going to kill Klaus tonight with the help of Mikael but she was scared as she didn't expect Mikael to be a good ally. She put her phone in her pocket and she tied the apron she had around her.

"Ashley." She heard a voice which made her look up to see Felix standing on the other side of the bar. She walked towards him with a smile and then she supported her elbows on the bar.

"Hi, Felix." She shot him a charming smile which made the boy's cheeks heat up a little. "Whatcha doing?" Felix started to rub the back of his neck and Ashley noticed he was slightly nervous

"I was wondering if you would like to be my homecoming dance tonight? I know this is in short notice but I would like for you to come with me. " Ashley's lips parted and she then noted Felix waiting for the answer. He seemed anxious which she found cute.

"Yeah, why not? I had no plans either way." Then she remembered that Klaus and Mikael would be there which made her curse in her mind.

"Pick you up at eight?" Ashley nodded his head at him and Felix smiled at her. He was a good guy, a little bit awkward at times but she didn't mind. "It's a date then." He flashed her another smiled before he walked away from her. Ashley chuckled even through she knew that she might get Felix in danger at the dance but she was glad that she wasn't the center around the plan.

"Ashley, have you seen Jeremy?" Her manager asked and Ashley shook her head. Jeremy hadn't been coming at work at all but Ashley didn't blame him. Many things happened to him these couple of weeks, probably this job was the last thing in his mind. "I'm going to fire that boy, if he doesn't come here one more time. Warn him." He walked away from her and Ashley sighed, she then moved to take orders from a table in her section.

"Good afternoon. Welcome to the Mystic Grill. What can I get for you?" The ginger man looked at her and then at the menu.

"I would like a Chicken Parmesan and some Jack Daniels." Ashley wrote it in her notepad and then she looked at the man.

"Coming right up." She walked to the kitchen where it was quite as not many people were in the Grill. "One plate of Chicken Parmesan." She then walked out of the kitchen to the bar and talked to the bartender. "A glass of Jack Daniels, Dan." the bartender nodded and he moved to get her the drink for her. She tapped her fingers in her tray waiting for Dan who after a few minutes came with the drink. She placed the drink in the tray and then she walked to the ginger man who was talking on the phone. She placed the drink on his table as she spared her one glance before focusing on the call. She walked away from him and she hoped that she would get to sit but that hope was crushed as more people started to get in the Mystic Grill. The place was getting crowded more and more which made her groan a little.

"It's gonna be a long day." She muttered under her breath as she moved to the next table where a teenage couple was sitting. She faked a smile and then she talked to them. "Welcome to the Mystic Grill. What can I get for you?" The couple looked at her and then they looked at the menu on the table.

"What do you want, honey?" She heard the boy ask the girl and she smiled as she batted her eyelashes at him.

"You can order for me, sweetie." She did her best not to roll her eyes at the couple but she didn't expect what came after that. The boy smashed his lips against her which made Ashley wrinkle her nose in disgust. She cleared her throat but the kiss just got deeper. She rolled her eyes and decided to walk away from the lovebirds until they finished their kissing. She decided to go in another table nearby until the teenage couple was over making out. Yet she didn't expect to see the younger Salvatore sitting there.

"Ah, Ashley." She pursued her lips not to say something as she stopped to look at him. "The girl who Damon is spending his late nights with." Ashley had no idea how Stefan knew that but she didn't get to say anything. "Does Ric know about your late night activities?"

"Look Steffy," Stefan grimaced at the nickname she gave him but he didn't say anything. "your brother and I are just friends and he spent one night with me and we only watched T.V as our 'late night activities' and shouldn't you be pinning over Elena as she's falling in love with your brother as we're speaking?"

"I don't care about Elena or her and Damon." He told her, his voice low and a little dangerous but that didn't scare Ashley.

"Could have fooled me?" She _tsk_ ed him and then she heard that her order of Chicken Parmesan was ready which made her walk away from Stefan and towards the kitchen to get her order.

* * *

Ashley had just taken a shower and had a towel wrapped around her hair and she was wearing shorts and a tank top. She walked in the living room and then she heard the door open to see her uncle entering the apartment.

"Forgot some tests here." He told her as he walked to his work desk and started to look for the tests. "Elena daggered Rebekah so she wouldn't double cross us, just wanted to let you know." Ashley's mouth opened wide at the revelation her uncle just gave er.

"Are doppelgangers always this stupid or is it just Elena?" Ashley asked and Alaric gave her a warning look but that didn't stop his niece at all. "She literally back stabbed Rebekah who btw is a fucking Original who could kill Elna in less than a second."

"You're too hard on Elena." Alaric pointed out and Ashley rolled her eyes a little before speaking.

"I'm hard on everyone here, like Ric I think you should shower more often and drink less please. Damon can be less cocky and less pathetic, Stefan can go 500 miles away from him." Ashley was cut off by her uncle who took a step forward her and held his hands.

"Is Stefan disturbing you?" He asked a little worried as his eyebrows knotted.

"He's just annoying every time, he's around me which is rarely but still it would be better if he just got out of my face especially tonight."

"Please, tell me you're not going to the homecoming dance." Ashley raised her shoulders a little which made Alaric sigh.

"Felix asked me and I couldn't say no, that will be rude."

"You're always rude, couldn't you be today too?" Alaric pointed out which made Ashley cross her arms over her chest as she narrowed her eyes at him.

"Look, I'll try to be in the supernatural free zone tonight as they try to kill Klaus. No one will even notice me, trust me. I can be quite as a mouse." Alaric sighed as he put the tests on his bag and then he looked at his niece. "I won't die, I promise you that. Or even get hurt."

"Just be careful." Alaric walked over to the door and looked at her one more time.

"Careful is my middle name." She tried to assure but he only shook his head at her before walking out of the apartment. She walked to her room and looked at the outfit she was wearing tonight. It was a two piece outfit. The top was sleeveless, tight and it came just under her belle button showing her stomach a little while her bottom was a skirt that came to her knees which was little bit puffed. It was all in cream and she found some matching heels with it. She looked at her mirror and thought about ways she could do her hair. She threw the towel away and looked a her wet locks. She decided to straighten her hair and put some light make up on. She was about to start fixing her hair when her phone rang. She looked to see that it was an unknown number. She picked up the call.

"Hello?" She greeted, confusion on her voice as she waited for the person to speak.

 _"Hey, it's me Felix. Caroline gave me your number as I r_ e _alized I don't have it. I just wanted to tell you that the dance has moved to Tyler's house as there was a flood in our high school gym."_ Ashley hummed as she moved to get her drier and her straightener.

"Okay, see you at eight. Bye, Felix." She said as she put them in the table in front of her.

 _"Bye."_ He said back before ending the call. Ashley sighed and ended the call before she moved to plug the drier. She started to dry her hair but she couldn't stop the feeling down her stomach. She had a bad feeling for tonight and she couldn't shake it.

"What did I get myself into?" She whispered to herself but it was barely heard by the noise the drier was making.

* * *

As soon as Ashley and Felix stepped in the Lockwood mansion, Ashley regretted it coming. The place was filled with horny teenagers and a lot of noise. She couldn't believe that she used to be in these dances back in her old school and actually enjoyed. She was a different person now, she used to enjoy drugs and parties but now she enjoyed pizzas and reruns of Friends.

"Wow, I don't think half of the people in here are from my school." Felix told her with a loud voice because of the noise while he looked around. "And how is there a band outside? How could Lockwood throw such an awesome dance in matter of seconds?" _Compulsion._ Ashley wanted to say to an observant Felix but she kept her mouth shut as she looked around.

"Perks of being rich, I guess?" Ashley raised her shoulders as she said thatbut Felix didn't believe that. At least now, she knew that Felix wasn't dumb at all. "Let's get out." Both of them got out and noticed that more people showed to the dance who looked more of a party.

"This dance doesn't look like one." Felix voiced Ashley's thoughts as the band stopped their song.

"That's an understatement." Ashley pointed out and then she froze when she saw a dirty blonde vampire on stage. "You got to be kidding me!" She said in a low voice which Felix didn't hear.

"Good evening everyone! I wanna thank you for being here with me to celebrate! It's been a long time coming!" Everyone cheered and clapped while Ashley scowled at the original hybrid on the stage.

"Who is he and why is everyone cheering for him?" Ashley then noted that Felix was way too observant on the whole situation which made her anxious a little.

"An attention seeker in my opinion." She replied as she eyed Klaus getting off the stage. Ashley turned to face the dark haired boy next to her who just looked confused with the whole situation. "Can you get us sme drinks? I'm thirsty." Felix nodded his head and then he walked away from her in search for drinks. Ashley let out a sigh but her relief was over by someone behind her.

"My favorite commentator decided to join me in my victory party." Klaus's British accent was heard behind her which made Ashley turn to look at him.

"Klaus, what an undelightful surprise. I surely didn't miss you." Klaus chuckled at her words but his eyes didn't show any humor in it.

"Has anyone told you that little mouth of yours can get you into trouble?" Ashley scoffed at the man in front of her but faked a smile either way.

"More than I can count to be honest but I never learn as you can witness it right now." Klaus hummed at her reply as she looked around. "So you really made Tyler throw this party just so you could make yourself feel better?" Klaus stepped closer to her and grabbed her by the wrist. Ashley's heart was about to leap out from her chest by his sudden movement.

"Both of us here know that you're not stupid so stop running your mouth, love." Klaus told her as he glared at her dark orbs. "You better comment about something else." His grip on her wrist tightened which made her wince.

"Hey, man!" Klaus looked up while Ashley turned around just to see Felix with drinks in his hands as he glared at Klaus. "Let go of her!" Klaus let go of her and he walked towards Felix.

"Handsome, isn't he?" Klaus taunted and Ashley felt a chill run down through her spine as he looked at Felix who seemed angry. "What's your name, lad?" He compolled Felix immediately not wasting any time.

"Felix Reynolds." Felix replied blankly as he looked at Klaus who smiled.

"Okay Felix, my new hybrids seem a little hungry and I would think you would make a wonderful dinner-" Ashley cut him off stepping close to him.

"Just leave him alone Klaus, I won't do or say anything." Klaus smiled triumphantly and then he looked at Felix.

"You are one lucky fellow to have such a feisty girlfriend." Klaus's tone changed when he looked at Felix's eyes. "Now forget that we had this conversation. You only remember getting drinks for Ashley here." Klaus walked away but not before giving Ashley a little smirk. Felix came to his senses, he was a little bit dazed but he then ended up smiling at Ashley.

"Here's your drink." Ashley took it but with a fake smile. She gulped it all down earning a eyebrow raised by Felix.

"I just think I need to have a little bit of fun tonight." She winked at him which made him smile nervously. She put the drink down in a table nearby and looked at the dance. She took Felix's hand. "Put the drink down and come dance with me." Felix did that and she dragged him into the dance floor.

* * *

"I had a great time." Ashley told Felix as she supported her head in the wall. They had moved to a secluded area, away from the music and people.

"I'm glad that you did." Felix told her with a grin but he didn't do what she expected him to. He stood there with his hands in his pockets looking down and Ashley knew what she had to do. She took a step forward and took Felix by surprise by pressing her pink lips against his. He didn't move at first but then he moved his hands on her waist and pulled her closer but he didn't deepen the kiss further. The kiss was sweet and gentle, something Ashley wasn't used to with Nate. Yet she wanted to kiss him even more, just as she was about to deepen the kiss someone cleared their throat. Ashley pulled away and took a step back just to see the raven haired vampire standing there with a little smirk but his eyes told another story.

"Sorry for cockblocking you but Ashley's uncle told me to take her home as it is late." Damon said as he narrowed his eyes at Felix who turned to look at Ashley whose eyes trailed to Damon's hands which had a little blood.

"I'll call you tomorrow." Ashley turned to look at him with a smile as Felix returned it.

"Yeah, you do that. Goodnight." Felix walked away from them and Ashley turned to look at Damon who was watching Felix leave.

"Why are your hands covered with blood?" She whispered to him and he looked at his hands before speaking.

"A hybrid wanted my invitation, I gave him my RVSP." Damon replied to her and Ashley raised her eyebrows at the 'hybrid' part.

"Klaus made more hybrids?" She asked and Damon nodded his head at her.

"The place is crawling with hybrids and you need to get out of here." Damon told her and she knotted her eyebrows at him.

"I'm sorry but my ride just walked away." Ashley pointed to the direction Felix went and Damon growled a little as he looked around. "I'll walk home." Damon shuffled inside his pockets making Ashley raise an eyebrow at him in confusion. He then gave her keys to his car which made her moth open in shock.

"Take my car but remember not a scratch if you know what's good for you." Damon told her and Ashley was still in shock that he would gave her the keys to his precious Camaro. She knew that he didn't let anyone touch especially drive his car but he was letting her. She took the keys and didn't say anything. "Meet me in my house, okay? Then I'll take you to your apartment." Damon walked away from her in a hurry and she turned to look at him one more time. She was worried knowing that he could risk his own life trying to kill Klaus but he was going to kill the man who and brought so much pain to many people including her uncle. Yet she was scared what would happen to Damon. He was good friend and tolerable at times guy and she didn't want him to die. It was that simple. She sighed and stepped out of the Lockwood mansion to Damon's Camaro. She opened the driver's door and got in it, she put the key in ignition and drove towards the boarding house.

She was nervous and the pit in her stomach was growing by the minute as she drove to the boarding house. She gripped the steering wheel tight making her knuckles turned white. She tried to shake off the feeling and admit to herself that everything will be fine but she still wasn't feeling any good. She wanted to turn around and find out what was going on but she knew that was stupid and suicidal at some point to go there, so she just drove to the boarding house. She parked Damon's car in it's usual place and then she opened the door of the house. _They should really lock this house,_ she thought as she closed it behind her. She walked to the foyer and sat on the couch waiting for someone to come in the house and call. When an half hour past, she decided she wasn't going to do it without a drink in her hands.

* * *

Damon sighed as he stepped to the porch of his own house. They had failed killing Klaus. He was so close to end all of this but of course Stefan had betrayed them in the last minute which ended in Mikael's death and Stefan earning his freedom from Klaus. Damon opened the door to his house to look up to see a really concerned Ashley with a glass of bourbon on her hand. She rose from her seat and turned to look at him.

"My dearest little brother betrayed us in the last minute. Klaus killed Papa Original and Stefan was awarded with his freedom from Klaus." Damon explained to her as he moved to get a drink for himself.

"Is everyone safe?" She asked and Damon nodded his head at her which made the pit completely disappear. "I'm sorry, Damon. We all thought that Stefan wanted Klaus dead."

"Well, I got to give Elena the news but first I need to finish a bottle." Damon drank all his glass of bourbon and Ashley watched him carefully. He was disappointed in himself, he thought that it was his fault that they didn't kill Klaus but she knew it wasn't.

"It's not your fault, Damon. You were not the only one who trusted Stefan about killing Klaus. Everyone did." Damon put his drink down and looked at Ashley's brown eyes. Those eyes made him feel better about himself. made him truly believe that it wasn't his fault. "Did Katherine survive too?"

"Yeah and she ran for the hills as usual, she's smart and we all should do that for the trick we did tonight. We blew it!" Damon threw the glass in the fireplace which made Ashley flinch but then look at Damon. She stepped forward and Damon turned to look at her.

"We get through this. There's always another way, trust me. We will all be fine." Her words weren't that assuring but it made him feel like there was hope for this to be all over. For Mystic Falls to be in peace again, for Elena to live the life she deserves, for Stefan to become who he was, for him to not care for so many people in this goddamn town. For Ashley too who was involved with all of this just because she wanted to be close to her uncle. Damon's eyes trailed to Ashley's lips but he knew what was he thinking was wrong. She was his best friend's niece. She was more wrong than Elena was in this moment but he couldn't stop himself. Maybe the pain and disappointment will go away when he did what he wanted to do in that moment. Thankfully, his phone ringing pulled him out of his stupid idea and he picked up the phone.

"Not interested in the play-by-play of our failure right now, Katherine." Ashley looked up at him as he talked to the other doppelganger he once loved.

 _"_ _I'm just calling to say goodbye. I don't know what to tell you. You had a good plan Damon. And that's high praise coming from me."_ Katherine told him which surprised Damon. After all, it was coming from Katherine.

"That's not very comforting at the moment. You're going back into hiding?" Damon asked and Ashley moved to get another drink for herself.

 _"_ _At least my life is not boring. Goodbye, Damon."_

"Take care of yourself, Katherine." Damon hanged up and looked Ashley who took a sip of her drink.

"Is that the last time we will hear of her?" Ashley asked him and Damon chuckled dryly.

"I wish, Buffy. I wish." Damon responded to her and she ran a hand trough her dark hair. If things were bad, they were going to get worse. Both Ashley and Damon knew it.

* * *

 ** _I'm sorry for not updating sooner but it's been busy and I was inspired by the finale of TVD which left me in tears. I didn't like it, the only thing i liked was involving a letter and a check ;). Sorry for the little spoiler. Either way, here is the update and I hope you will enjoy it. In the next chapter, Ashley is going to have visitors and things with Damon will get a little bit more noticeable by a particular someone._**

 ** _NicoleR85:_** I'm glad that you enjoyed this chapter and I hope you will love this one too.

 _ **Adela:**_ Here is the update! I hope you like it and thank you.

 ** _galwidanatitud:_** That's putting mildly about the Scooby gang, I think they jump too soon on everything but I still love em. I hope they'll learn soon enough.

 ** _Persephone Vulturi Uchiha:_** This site is really annoying at times but it's all good now. I introduced Ashley's ex in the third chapter and he's not supernatural but someone from her old life might be ;). I hope this chapter cleared things between Klaus/Mikael thing but we need more closure on Defan (Damon and Stefan). I'm really happy you like the story and the details that I try to put into it. Well, I choose Shay Mitchell because I just love her in PLL and in general too but I don't think she looks like Elena at all but that is your opinion hun. It's no biggie.

 ** _123456789:_** I'm really happy you love it. About Damon kissing Elena, we will see what will happen soon or to say the thing we already know the next chapter. I'm sorry I didn't update any sooner.

 _ **sloksingh45:**_ I'm so sorry for the late update but I hope you will like this one.

 _ **P.S. Thank you for the favorites and follows too.**_


	12. The New Deal

_**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE VAMPIRE DIARIES, I JUST OWN MY CHARACTERS AND THEIR STORY LINES.**_

* * *

Ashley tied her apron as she made her way out of the dressing rooms in the Grill. After she fixed it, she grabbed a tray and walked to her section of the tables to see Bonnie and Elena were sitting there talking about something.

"How is Damon?" Bonnie asked Elena and Ashley heard the doppelganger sigh a little bit.

"Damon is... Damon." Elena responded giving enough information to her best friend to understand.

"Damon is hiding his feeling by drinking. He took a note from Dean Winchester's book." Ashley joked but the girls didn't get her joke as they looked at her confused. "Dean Winchester played by the handsome Jensen Ackles in Supernatural?" She still got nothing from the girls which made her gave them n annoyed look. "You guys should watch some TV once in awhile. Either way, what do you want to order?"

"We already did." Bonnie responded and Ashley rolled her eyes at them.

"You could have told me that earlier so I wouldn't tell you about the man of my dreams." Ashley walked away from them and to the other side of the bar to face her uncle and his best friend.

"Oh, I give you a choice. Bloody Mary or Screwdriver. Brunch in a bottle. Come on Ric, I can't drink all this by myself. I mean I can but then somebody's getting naked." He winked at Ashley thinking it would get Alaric's attention but the man was clearly focused on the papers while Ashley glared at him. "Oh man I can't believe you're making me drink alone. You want to join, Buffy?"

"I'm busy and she's underage." Alaric said not looking up from his papers again.

"It's the eve of Klaus-ageddon. You're doing homework?" Alaric finally looked up to talk to Damon.

"This may come as a shock but I am not here to hang out with you. I'm here to see Jeremy. Who is an hour late for his shift." Ashley frowned at her uncle clearly knowing something he didn't.

"Kids today...Where are their values?" Damon asked looking back at Ashley who stuck her tongue out to him.

"Ric..." Ashley began to say something but then Alaric put Jeremy's mid-term paper 'American History 201' which had a red F on it.

"That's his mid-term paper. Copied it straight off the Internet. Didn't even try to hide it." He informed them and Damon smirked a little.

"Ohh, somebody's getting grounded." Damon pointed out and Ashley cleared her throat so the attention could go to her.

"That somebody was fired last week too." Ashley added and Alaric's eyes widened a little at the news.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner, Ashley?" Alaric asked her a little mad with his niece who was about to respond.

"She has been to busy with her boyfriend." Damon teased her and she glared at him.

"Fuck off, Damon. He told me that he already told you when I talked to him five days ago and my life unlike everyone of the Scooby Gang doesn't revolve around the Gilbert's residence." Ashley snapped at her uncle but he didn't seem bothered by her comment. He turned to look at Elena who was now sitting in the table alone and he joined her.

"Some bourbon, barkeep." Damon told Ashley who grabbed a glass and poured him some bourbon. "Leave the bottle."

"You're planning to get drunk today too. Damn if you were a human, you would be dead by now but I don't think alcoholism would have taken you, someone would have probably killed you."

"I'm too sexy to be killed."

"Not that sexy." She quipped regretting her words after they left her mouth.

"You think I'm sexy, Ashley?" Damon used a low voice that was really hot and made him ten times more attractive which made Ashley shiver a little which went unnoticed by Damon.

"I'm an honest woman but there are people who are more attracted than you."

"Example?" Damon asked with a cocky smirk.

"Dean Winchester. That guy is fine and a good brother." Damon rolled his blue eyes at the raven haired girl behind the bar. "And if he was here, Klaus would have been gone so long ago."

"What makes you say that?" Damon asked slightly bored but not that bored to not ask her that.

"Well, he and the rest of Team Free Will took down Lucifer and Michael. Two archangels. Now, they can-" Damon cut her off as he poured more bourbon in his glass.

"You know that is a TV show. This is real life."

"That looks like a mix of Buffy and Days of Our Lives."

"In times of troubles, Ashley Saltzman comes speaking words of bitchiness and fandom references." Ashley chuckled at the joke and then her eyes met Damon's for a split second but they were interrupted by someone clearing their throat. She looked away only to see Felix standing there with his hands in his pocket.

"Well, I'm going to leave you two lovebirds alone." Ashley sensed some sarcasm on his voice but she shook it off as she looked at her boyfriend.

"Hey there." She smiled up at him which he returned before he leaned in and captured her lips for a short kiss. It had been more than a week since the Homecoming and they had been going strong. Ashley pulled away with a smile on her face.

"So, I'm going today in Richmond with my family but I wanted to ask you on a date on the night of the Fundraiser for The Wickery Bridge?" Felix asked supporting his shoulders on the bar and Ashley nodded her head at him.

"Yeah, of course." She nodded at him and he smiled up at her.

"Well, I go to go. See you!" He pecked her lips before he walked away from her.

"He's hot but isn't he in high school." One of the bartenders named Christa said behind Ashley. "And don't give me that 'Love doesn't have an age' crap."

"I'm like 7 months older than him." Ashley told her and Christa nodded her head.

"'Well if you ask me, I would go for an older kind of type like the guy you were flirting before your boyfriend caught." Ashley parted her lips at Christa's words and she was shocked. She was bantering with Damon, not flirting.

"I wasn't flirting with Damon, we just talk like that." Ashley defended herself and she eyed Damon who was now flirting with Elena a little bit. "It's his human nature to flirt." Christa just hummed and Ashley felt like she was mocking her but then she walked away. Ashley glanced at Damon but then she shook the thoughts in her head and continued her work.

* * *

"Two glasses of whiskey, love?" Ashley looked up only to see Klaus sitting in one of the bar stools with a man by his side. She hesitated at first but then she poured Klaus a drink and then one for his friend. Immediately after she poured the drinks, she moved to walk away but she was stopped by Klaus's voice.

"I heard you and Rebekah had a quite budding relationship." He pointed out her and she tried her best not to flinch. Damon had told her that Elena had daggered the blonde Original girl and Ashley thought it was one of the most stupid ideas she had ever heard.

"Hanged out with her one time, she was cool." Ashley responded calmly as she started to scrub the bar with a rug.

"Do you know where she is?" Klaus asked and Ashley looked up at him and shook her head.

"I haven't heard anything from her since that day which I found really offensive because I'm a delight to be around with." Klaus chuckled at her words and then he looked at his friend.

"What did I tell you, Tony? She's one of the Mystic Fall's finest entertainment." Tony smiled and looked at Ashley which made her a little bit uneasy. "How about Stefan?"

"I haven't seen him around here neither but let me tell you a blood lust psycho with hero hair is hard to miss." She was about to leave when Klaus gripped her arm and pulled her closer to him.

"Are you sure you haven't seen anyone of them? Because if you have and I find out that you did, your boyfriend and uncle would be in a great danger." He threatened her and it scared Ashley to her core but she wasn't going to act it.

"I don't want to sound rude Klaus but you should know my life doesn't revolve around the Scooby gang." She yanked her arm out of his reach and walked away from him to the bathrooms. She got in and let out a shaky breath. He scared her and she was afraid that he might find out she knew Rebekah's location which was the Salvatore cellars. She pulled her phone out and decided to call Damon. The line rang for a few seconds before Damon finally picked up.

 _"Miss me already?"_ He said jokingly through the phone which made Ashley roll her eyes at him.

"Klaus was in the Grill." Damon didn't let her finish as he started to talk.

 _"I know, he confronted me and Elena about something my brother stole."_ Damon told her and Ashley bit her lip to prevent from screaming.

"Why didn't you warn me you genius?" Ashley asked him a little mad at the older Salvatore but then she decided to let it go. "He asked me about Rebekah and your brother and he told me if he found out that I was lying, he would kill Alaric and Felix."

 _"I'll come and get you. Compel your boss to give you a day off. Where are you?"_

"The staff's bathroom."

 _"Okay. Stay there."_ Ashley nodded her head even if he couldn't see him and hanged up. She supported her head on the wall as she waited for Damon to come and get her. She waited for him a couple of minutes and then she heard the door open and then she saw Damon pop his head inside. she sighed in relief and she took off her apron. He opened the door for her and both of them got out of the Grill.

"Where is Ric?" She asked him as they got in his blue Camaro.

"Having a normal family dinner with Jeremy and Elena. Want me to drive you there?" She shook her head and Damon turned the engine on.

"What did Stefan steal from him?"

"I have no idea. Seems like Stefan has gone diabolically evil this time." Damon replied to her question and Ashley covered her face with her hand.

"Things just get messier and messier."

"You can always leave." Ashley lowered her hands and looked at Damon wanting to see if he was being serious with her. He was being serious with her.

"I can't leave. Alaric is here and he's my family and of course I have Felix now. Plus, I would probably worry about your stupid ass."

"Aw, you worry about me?" Damon asked her looking at her but she ignored the look.

"Eyes on the road, dumbass." She told him but he still had a smirk on his face, which was getting into her skin. She hated that Damon got under her skin and she couldn't blame Elena at all for liking him. He was funny, charming and protective but he was arrogant, impulsive and hot tempered too. She shook her thoughts about Damon one more time this day but she knew it wouldn't be the last time. Damon pulled up his car on the boarding and they headed inside.

"Bourbon?" Damon asked Ashley as he poured some for himself and she nodded her head as an answer. Ashley watched as Damon poured them some bourbon when her eyes moved to the figure who was standing behind him. Damon had noticed her looking that way and he turned only to see Klaus there.

"I think it's about time we had a drink, don't you?" Klaus asked Damon as he eyed Ashley who looked away from him.

"I'd say we're overdue." Damon responded looking at the Original hybrid.

"Well, you've been so busy with all your plotting and scheming." He told Damon who hummed a little. "How about you love?" Klaus looked at the raven haired girl who shrugged her shoulders.

"Why not? How many times does a girl get to drink with an Original hybrid and a vampire?" Ashley responded and Klaus smiled up at her with amusement.

"You know me, Klaus. Never miss a chance to plan an epic failure." Ashley gave Damon a sympathetic look remembering Homecoming night and how disappointed Damon was with himself.

"Don't be so hard on yourself. Who could have guessed your own brother would betray you?" Klaus said with his taunting smile and Ashley just knew Damon had a good comeback for him.

"Well, I did have a front row seat when your sister lied to you." Damon retorted at Klaus who gave both Damon and Ashley a look.

"Yeah, well she's fickle that one. And you say you have no idea of her whereabouts?" Klaus asked but he was more looking at Ashley then Damon thinking she would break and tell him if she knew something. Ashley just stared at him unaffected although she was screaming inside knowing Rebekah was in the basement, a dagger literally behind her back.

"That's the thing with younger siblings. You just never know what they're gonna do." Damon said as he extended Klaus a glass of bourbon. "Drink?" Klaus only looked at him with suspicion. Klaus took the drink and Damon leaned down to give Ashley hers who was sitting on the couch.

"Cheers mate!" Klaus said as he neared his glass to his lips.

"Down the hatch" Damon responded and the three people in the room took a sip.

"You know, we've actually got a lot in common, you and I." Klaus told Damon who raised an at the statement Klaus just gave while the latter one walked to stand before Ashley.

"Really?" Damon said in disbelief and he looked at Ashley who gave him a shrug. "Well, yeah. Maybe we can bond over our mutual loathing of my brother. Why are you so mad at him? He stole something?" Damon looked at Klaus slightly curious as he spoke.

"My family, the Originals. I had them daggered, boxed-up awaiting the day when I saw fit to wake them. And he went in and pinched the bloody lot." Klaus responded and Ashley's lips parted a little bit.

"What a beautiful relationship you have there with your siblings." She commented and Klaus gave her a glare but Ashley didn't seem affected by it.

"Of course he did. Such a buzzkill, my baby bro." Damon looked through the window and then walked towards the dirty blonde man in the room. "Well, I'd love to find him. Just the trouble is, I sure as hell don't work for you."

"You know, your drink stinks of vervain- so I can't compel you. There be no point in killing you because your actually the one with the most help of getting me what I need. And yet it would seem a demonstration is in order. Perhaps I wasn't clear enough when I told you to find Stefan. Well, it seems you people respond best to displays of violence. Why don't you take this as an example of my reach." Ashley gave Damon a worried look but he only was looking at Klaus. Klaus took out his phone and called someone. "There he is! So, that thing I told you to do...why don't you go ahead and get on with it?" The other person on the line didn't talk at all, he only hanged up and Klaus smirked at Damon. Ashley was officially worried and she had every reason to be.

* * *

Ashley almost kicked the door of the Gilbert house after she heard the news that her uncle had been run over by a car. She saw her uncle in the couch dead.

"How is he?" Damon asked as he was behind her and Ashley moved to the other side to look at her uncle.

"He's dead, but he had his ring. Klaus's hybrid hit him. Now we just wait." Ashley sighed in relief as she looked at her uncle but then she cussed under her breath.

"How did this happen?" Ashley asked Elena looking away from her uncle.

"Well maybe it happened because this dumbass is not wearing vervain." Ashley turned to look at a very confused Jeremy.

"It was Tyler! It had to have been. That's why he was hanging out with you. To get you off the vervain." Elena told his brother in a voice that practically said 'i told you so'.

"Klaus is trying to send us a message. He wants us to find Stefan who stole his coffins full of his dead family members." Damon informed the Gilbert siblings and Ashley looked at her uncle once again. Flashbacks of her mother dying in her hospital bed flashed through her mind as she looked at her uncle.

"Coffins?" Elena asked as she was looking at Damon who was looking at Ashley.

"Yep! So all we have to do is find four coffins and voilà! No one else on your family's Christmas list needs to die!" Ashley wanted to snap at Damon but she was trying not to let the tears fall from her eyes.

"Wait- that's your big plan? To steal back four dead originals so this evil hybrid doesn't kill me and everyone else we know?" Jeremy snapped at Damon who wasn't even bothered by him.

"You got a better idea?" Damon snapped at the younger Gilbert who nodded his head.

"Yeah! Let's get the hell outta here! Pack our bags and go!" Ashley looked at Jeremy and she couldn't help but think that he was the only one speaking common sense in the moment. She looked at her uncle who was still dead.

"Hey, Jeremy calm down." Elena told her brother but Jeremy seemed like he had it enough.

"No, no! I'm not gonna calm down, Elena! This happens every time, no matter what we do! Get on my case about school and work...Who cares? None of us are gonna make it out of this town alive." Jeremy left to his room upstairs and Ashley got up from the place she was kneeling before.

"I'll go talk to him as the only one here alive that isn't something supernatural." Ashley put a strand of her hair behind her ear and went upstairs to the Gilbert house, It was her first time she went upstairs to this house and she looked around to find Jeremy's room. She found it and knocked on the door.

"Elena, leave me alone." She opened the door and Jeremy looked at her.

"Not Elena, so I'm coming inside." She closed the door behind her and looked at the younger Gilbert. "You know you're right."

"About what?" Jeremy frowned at her words as he asked her.

"About packing your bags and leaving this town. Most of the time, I regret coming here but I already started a life here. I have a job, family, friends and a boyfriend but I still want to leave. Get Ric and never look at this town again."

"Why don't you?" Jeremy asked her and she shrugged her shoulders.

"Alaric would never leave you and Elena alone, he thinks you as his family and that makes me think of you some kind of a family."

"Even Elena?"

"I put the you more in singular." Jeremy chuckled at that and Ashley looked down. "But you need to support your family and your sister is your family. She might be the center of this shit that is going on in your life but you need to think of how she feels in this moment."

* * *

Ashley had been with Alaric downstairs for hours now as she waited for him to wake up. A big part of her was afraid that he might not wake up as she never experienced him dying and waking up but Damon had done his best assuring her that he would wake up. She looked at the window and it was nighttime now. She started to get more worried when she heard a gasp and saw that her uncle had woken up.

"Oh thank God." She mumbled as she moved to look at her uncle who was coughing.

"Ashley?" He muttered her name and she nodded her head.

"Yeah, it's your favorite niece." She said which made him smirk a little.

"You're my only one." He pointed out and Ashley saw that he was having some problems getting up. She helped him up and they heard the door open.

"Ric, hey! When did you return to the living?" Elena asked as Alaric looked at her.

"Just now." Ashley responded to her trying to keep her uncle still.

"How is Jeremy?" Alaric asked as Elena walked closer to him and Ashley.

"Hating me. Hating life. Hating the fact that we can't even have a family dinner without somebody dying before dessert." Elena stopped as she saw that Alaric had started to couch uncontrollably. "are you okay?"

"Ric?" Ashley called her uncle's name but then she saw that he had coughed blood. "Oh My God."

"Something's not right! The ring!" Alaric responded a little bit hard as he kept coughing.

"Elena, call the ambulance." Ashley ordered the other girl and she tried her best to keep her uncle up but he collapsed on the floor. "Alaric? Ric? Uncle Ric?" She called but the man wasn't responsive.

"They're coming." Less than a minute, Elena opened the door for two paramedics.

"What happened?" One of them asked as they moved towards Alaric while Ashley stepped away.

"He got run over with a car," Ashley hesitated as she had to remember to leave the part that he woke up from the dead. "he's coughing up blood now."

"Get his vitals." The other paramedic ordered the other and Ashley saw as they checked his pulse.

"Pulse pretty weak. Looks like internal bleeding. We gotta get him outta here." Ashley's heart started to beat frantically as she looked at her uncle.

"Let's move." The second paramedic said but they were stopped by a voice coming from the doorway.

"Let's not and say we did. Why don't you two meet us at the hospital?" Ashley and Elena shared a worried look and Ashley stepped forward to face Tony.

"What the hell are you doing?" Tony didn't reply and the raven haired girl turned around to see that the paramedics were leaving. "Where the fuck are you going? You have to help him."

"You can still save your uncle, Ashley. Come here and take my blood." Ashley shared a look with Elena as Tony raised his wrist. "I can't get in. You're gonna have to invite me."

"I'm going to kill you." Ashley mumbled under her breath but the hybrid had the audacity.

"Why are you doing this?" Elena asked Tony who turned to look at her.

"Klaus asked for his family. You didn't deliver." Tony replied and Alaric began to couch again. Ashley began to move to look at her uncle.

"I'm right here, uncle Ric." She told him repeatedly as he coughed.

"He's gonna die. Might want to invite me in, Elena." Tony taunted Elena and just then Ashley heard Tony grunt in pain and then fall down. She then saw a bow behind his back. Someone had shot him.

"Jeremy!" Elena called and Ashley was thankful to Jeremy from coming in time.

"He's not dead yet." Jeremy told her and then Ashley saw him walk to the kitchen.

"What are you doing?" Elena asked and Ashley was just as confused but then she figured what the boy was going to do when he grabbed the meat cleaver. Elena screamed and Ashley knew that Jeremy had cut down Tony's head.

"Guys, we need to take him to the hospital." She reminded the Gilbert siblings and they nodded at her.

* * *

"Don't you think it will be weird if the doctor finds you like this?" Alaric looked at his niece while playing with the ring in his head. "You looked like shit and look at you now."

"They won't have questions if we get out of here more quickly." Alaric told her and she crossed her arms over her chest.

"I think you should lie down, you don't know if that can happen to you again." Ashley pointed out and Alaric sighed before speaking.

"Don't worry about me okay?"

"Cut the bullshit." Alaric was taken back by his niece who seemed to have it enough. "You just died and you expect me not to worry about you. You're my uncle and I will worry about your stupid ass who sacrifices his life for good stupid intentions."

"Ashley-" Alaric began but the girl raised her hand to stop him.

"After we fix that ring thing, me and you are heading out of this town. I don't want to hear Elena this, Jeremy this. If they want to come, the do. If they don't me, we are getting out of here no matter what."

"I can't just leave them like that, Ashley."

"You might have dated their aunt and Elena might be your stepdaughter but you don't own them to take care of them. You need to think of yourself Ric, not others." Alaric didn't speak, he only looked down and Ashley sighed. "I'll wait you for you and Jeremy in the car." Ashley walked out of the room and then out of the hospital. She rushed to get in the car and immediately as she closed the door. Tears welled up in her eyes and she let them. She couldn't even think Alaric dying, she couldn't think anyone in her life dying and in that moment she didn't want nothing than drugs. They helped her cool off and forget everything. They made her go into another wrong. A world full of bliss. A perfect world. She had promised her uncle and grandparents that she would quit them and she didn't want to hear Nate's voice saying. She ran a hand through her dark locks when her phone started to ring. It was Hanna and she decided to pick it up.

 _"Hey, Poo Bear."_ She made Ashley smile immediately with her voice. _"We haven't talked in awhile."_

"New York is keeping you quite busy, my friend." Ashley pointed out as she wiped her tears away.

 _"Yeah and your cougar like style is keeping you busy. Felix, right?"_ Ashley hummed as a response. _"So, how good in sack is he?"_

"We haven't slept together yet, Hanna."

 _"What are you waiting for? In Chicago, I met this guy named Nik and can I just say that was the best sex I ever had."_ Ashley always loved Hanna's brash attitude.

"Don't spare me the details, honey." Ashley said and then Hanna began to talk to about Nik. something about him reminded of Ashley of someone but she couldn't place a finger on it.

 _"And that accent, Ash. The way he said love."_ Then it hit Ashley. Hanna had slept with Klaus. Hanna said that he had blue eyes, dirty blonde hair and had an accent. He called her love and then she remembered that Rebekah called him Nik. _"Ashley, are you there?"_

"Where did you meet this guy?"

 _"In a bar called Gloria's. The one you waited for Damon in the parking."_ Again, Ashley was screaming in the inside and she then saw Alaric and Jeremy walk out of the hospital.

"Ric is coming. I'll call you ." She hanged up her phone and took deep breaths. She couldn't believe what she had just heard. Alaric and Jeremy had entered the car and noticed her.

"Are you okay?" Alaric asked her and Ashley nodded her head.

"Fine, just tired." She lied and then scratched her forehead. She had just leaned that her best friend had slept with Klaus.

* * *

Ashley didn't disagree with Elena about compelling Jeremy to go to Denver. It was his life but she knew it wasn't her business. She didn't voice out her opinion, she only sat on the couch waiting for Damon to finish the compelling and drive her to her apartment as Alaric was going to stay with Elena and Jeremy. Elena walked out in the front porch and sat on the swing but Ashley didn't move from her place, she only waited for Damon to come. She heard someone descend the stairs and looked to see that it was Damon. She rose from her seat and got out of the house, Damon followed her behind. She saw that Elena was looking down on the floor.

"I feel like a horrible person." Ashley was too tired to remark something, she only watched Elena sit in the swing.

"You just saved his life, Elena. Take it from me, strange is bad, dead is worse." Damon tried to assure the doppelganger.

"I just can't stop thinking about what happened the last time I asked you to compel him." Ashley was taken back by the new information Elena just gave to her.

"You're not a horrible person, but your sister skills need improving." Damon nudged Ashley at her words a little who only rolled her eyes at him. "Either way, I'm out." She walked away from Elena and Damon heading towards Damon's car. Damon talked to Elena a little bit more before he walked over to Ashley. Elena seemed to have been shocked with the news Damon just gave her.

"What did you tell her?" Ashley asked looking at Elena who had headed inside.

"If I killed Klaus, I would have been dead." Damon turned the engine on and Ashley looked at him in shock.

"Stefan saved you." She pointed out and Damon nodded his head. Ashley could see that there was something in his eyes but he was hiding it from her. "How do you feel?

"Guilty." Damon responded to her and she understood what he meant. Damon felt guilty that he wanted Elena. There was a silence before Ashley spoke.

"You can't always get what you want but if you try you might just get what you need." Damon gave Ashley a disbelieving look at her words.

"Did you just quote a song from Rolling Stones?"

"Ignore that. Just remember my words, Salvatore." Damon pulled his car in the driveway and Ashley got out. "Goodnight." Damon watched as Ashley walked up to the door and turned right for the staircase. Even after she was long gone, he kept looking towards her direction. If Elena was what he wanted, was Ashley what he needed.

* * *

 _ **Sorry for the long wait but here is the update. Hope you guys enjoy it. The next chapter is going to be very interesting to write in Ashley's perspective and Alaric might notice something about his niece and his best friend ;). School is ending in a week so you're going to have more updates.**_

 _ **NicoleR85:**_ I'm glad that you like Ashley a lot and her honesty. I wanted to write a character who just says the truth to everyone's faces and Ashley does. Here is the update and I hope you enjoy it.

 ** _Adela:_** Thank you and hope you enjoy this update too.

 _ **ChristinaAguileraFan:**_ I'm glad that you like the story and the character.

 _ **galwidanatitud:**_ That's the understatement of the year :D.

 _ **Persephone Vulturi Uchiha:**_ The whole friendzone feeling Damon and Ashley are both giving to each other is fading and you got to see it this chapter more. We get to meet this person in the upcoming chapters and she would help Ashley a lot with her Alaric situation.

 _ **P.S. Thank you for the follows and favorites. Love you**_


	13. Our Town

_**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE VAMPIRE DIARIES, I JUST OWN MY CHARACTERS AND THEIR STORY LINES.**_

* * *

Ashley groaned as she heard someone make noise in her apartment. She pulled her sheets from her body and then pressed her feet on the cold floor. She winced a little from the coldness but she kept hearing noises like someone was punching the punching bags. She wanted to scream at the person as they ruined her sleep. She opened the door and got out of her bedroom with hurry. There she saw Elena who was punching and kicking the punching bag.

"What the hell, Elena?" Ashley exclaimed a little angry at the brunette who didn't stop kicking.

"Alaric gave me his key and told me I can come workout." Elena defended herself and Ashley cussed her uncle under her breath before speaking one more time.

"He probably didn't think that you'll punch the punching bags without thinking that you'll wake me up." Elena didn't stop kicking and punching the bag which drove to Ashley to the point where she lost it. She grabbed the bag out of Elena's reach and dodged a kick of Elena's.

"Ashley!" Elena protested but Ashley was too angry to even listen. "What the hell?"

"What the hell, Elena? You are working out in my apartment without thinking about the fact that it's still early in the morning and that I'm probably asleep." Ashley was still holding the bag while Elena stood in front of her.

"I've got things going on right now." Elena excused herself and Ashley gave her a scoff.

"Go then figure them out of my apartment." Elena didn't move which made Ashley raise her eyebrows at her. "Are you moving or do I need to move you?" Elena scoffed at the dark haired girl and then grabbed her stuff before leaving the apartment. She slammed the door harder than necessary which made Ashley flinch in her place. She rolled her eyes at the doppelganger who just left. Ashley shook the thoughts of Elena and went to her bedroom to catch some sleep as it was still 7 a.m.

Of course, it didn't work for her to sleep. She groaned in her pillow before deciding to wake up and do something. She was glad that she didn't have work today and she had time to prepare for the fundraiser Felix invited her. She decided to take a shower and then eat breakfast.

As Ashley was eating her breakfast, Alaric opened the door with his keys and looked at his niece from his place.

"You kicked Elena out?" He asked her and she rolled her eyes a little.

"I'm so sorry for hurting the princess's feelings when she woke me up from my sleep." Alaric stood silent and Ashley was surprised that he didn't defend Elena.

"Maybe it was her fault for working too hard." Ashley interrupted by scoffing her uncle.

"More like not caring enough." Ashley added and Alaric looked at his niece a little bit annoyed. "And it was your fault for giving her the keys in the first place."

"Fine, it was my fault." Alaric moved to the place where he kept his weapons and Ashley followed him with her brown eyes.

"So, when are you gonna ditch that ring? And when are we leaving this town?" Alaric stopped abruptly to look at his niece and by the silence Ashley knew the answer. "Really, Ric?"

"Look Ashley..." He began to say but she cut him off.

"I got it, uncle Alaric." Alaric flinched at the way she called him as she never did that. "I totally got it." She put her food down and left the room in hurry. Alaric sighed as he knew he had hurt his niece's feelings.

* * *

Ashley was looking at the dresses she was deciding to wear but she seemed in conflict as she didn't want to seem too showy in the Fundraiser that she's most likely meet Felix's parents. She started to get frustrated as she looked at the dresses.

One was crimson and it was all tight in her body with long sleeves and an open neckline. She gave it one last look before deciding that it wasn't good to wear for the Fundraiser.

The second one was navy blue. It was tight in the top but started to loosen from the hip. It was a sleeveless down and it came to her knee. Ashley hummed before looking at the other dress that was cream colored which was strapless and the frontal part of the dress went above the knee while the back part went below the knees.

Ashley was looking at the two dresses from one to another before her phone started to ring. She moved to get it and looked at the caller I.D before answering it.

 _"Are you coming to the Fundraiser tonight?"_ She heard the voice of the older Salvatore brother.

"Yes, I'm going on a date with Felix." She responded before looking at the dresses.

 _"I called you to warn you about Papa Hybrid. He's going to be there."_ As soon as Damon said those words, Ashley was reminded the call she had with Hanna a few days ago and how she told Ashley something.

"Damn it. Doesn't he have anything better to do?" Ashley bit her lip as she looked down at her dresses.

 _"He wants to find Stefan and get his precious coffins so he is making our lives miserable."_

"Thanks for the warning. See you at the party." She was about to end the call then she decided to ask him something. "I need to ask you a question."

 _"Ask away, Buffy."_ Ashley took some deep breaths before asking.

"I don't really have girls as friends around town. I kinda had Rebekah but you know Elena daggered her. So, what color do you think it suits me better? Cream or navy?" There was as silence before Damon started to chuckle on the other line.

 _"You really don't have girls as friends if you are asking me."_ Damon joked and Ashley regretted that she even asked him that question.

"I'm regretting that I even asked you this question." Ashley was about to end the call but Damon stopped her.

 _"Navy, it goes with your skin tone."_ Ashley knotted her eyebrows at first because of his answer but then she hummed a little.

"Thanks Damon for the advice."

 _"You're welcome, Buffy."_ Ashley ended the call with a smile before she looked at the dresses. She took the cream colored dress before putting it in her closet. She looked at the navy dress one more time and she agreed with Damon that it fitted her better.

* * *

Alaric was looking at the model of the Wickery Bridge and Damon was standing beside him looking it with his best friend.

"That's the bridge where Elena and Jeremy's parents died in the car accident." Damon told Alaric as he looked away from the bridge and Alaric looked at Damon.

"Something is up with her. Elena. Something more than usual. You know what it is?" Alaric asked Damon who shrugged his shoulders. If Alaric had asked him a few weeks ago, Damon would have known but his friendship or relationship with Elena had become estranged.

"Well I'm sure it starts with a "Stef" and ends with an "an"." That was the best guess that Damon had for Elena's problems as she always had that problems these days. "I'm gonna get a drink, write a check and then we're out?" Alaric nodded and Damon left him. As Damon walked to get a drink, he was faced with something that made him stop and look in awe.

Ashley. She was wearing the navy blue dress that he recommended her to and she looked beautiful. The dress fit in all the right curves in all the right places and he was right about the whole skin tone. She was talking to a couple and of course Felix was there too smiling at her making Damon roll his eyes but he tried to get on the focus that it was Ashley. It felt wrong looking at his best friend's niece like that but he couldn't help it.

Why did he always go for the wrong girls? One was in love with his brother while the other one was his best friend's niece. Damon looked at Ashley one more time and saw that she had a fake smile on her face.

Just then, her brown eyes met his blue ones and she excused herself to go talk with him. He smirked at her as she made her way towards him.

"They hate me." She told him and he raised an eyebrow. "I think they're racists."

"Come on! what did you expect? It's Virginia and they are rich snubs." Damon told her as he moved to get a drink.

"We are living in the 21st century, not Civil War time which was of course your time and you might still be racist. Are you?" Damon shook his head and Ashley looked at Felix and his parents while Damon looked at her with a little smile playing on his lip

"What else did it make you think that they are racist?" Damon asked and Ashley sighed a little.

"His mom told me that she didn't know that I was exotic." Damon almost spat out his drink before chuckling at her.

"Well, you are quite exotic." Ashley turned to him and hit him with the purse she was holding.

"God, I really need girlfriends." She sighed before adjusting her purse noticing that Felix's parents were looking at her with raised eyebrows and she gave them a smile which they returned with looking away. "They totally hate me."

"Good luck." Damon walked away from her and Ashley gaped at him.

"Damon Salvatore, don't walk away from me." But he did.

* * *

Ashley was sitting alone in a table and she got in more trouble with Felix's parents as she never could shut her big mouth. She sighed and then bit her lip when she noticed Felix walking closer to her.

"So, that was disaster." Ashley joked but Felix wasn't smiling at all.

"Why did you hit Damon like that?" Felix immediately asked and Ashley turned to give him a questioning look. "Because my mom thought it was quite violent."

"He was teasing me, that's what we do." She told him and he frowned at her.

"We? You and Damon are a 'we'." Ashley raised an eyebrow at him and he covered his face with his hands.

"We is a pronoun that people use to replace names to make it shorter or easier. Do you need some grammar lessons?" Felix snorted a dry laugh before looking at her.

"First, you act rude to my parents and now to me." Ashley sighed a little and got up from her chair that she was sitting.

"Your mother called me exotic and she frowned after she said that. Your father asked me if I was born in U.S. You just said that I like Damon."

"I didn't say that Ashley." Felix pointed out and she looked at him with a scowl on her face.

"Yes, you did Felix." She practically hissed his name while talking to him. "You know what, this party was kinda good because I got to see what I'm getting into and I think I'm going to dodge a good bullet. Goodbye Felix."

He didn't say nothing at all, he only looked away from her and Ashley walked away. She walked in a room with more people and she regretted it when she heard a voice which dripped British accent.

"Lover's quarrel?" She heard Klaus's voice from behind her and she turned to him. Her mind immediately going to her perky blonde friend in New York.

"I don't think we were lovers or will ever be. Now, if you'll excuse me." Klaus prevented her from leaving with his body which made Ashley sigh in frustration.

He gave her a smile that she found both annoying and charming as he looked at her. "To tell you the truth, I think Damon was a big problem in your relationship with that boy."

Ashley scoffed at him before she spoke. "Damon wasn't a problem."

"But he was, Ashley. When the three of us were on his house together, I saw the looks that you two shared. The good thing here is that you both feel something for each-other." The dark haired girl gave him an annoyed look before scowling a little.

"I thought your work in town was to be the big bad villain, not a therapist." Klaus chuckled at her words before smiling at her.

"You know, I ask one of my hybrids to do some research for you Ashley. He found interesting things. Both parents gone, your older brother was kidnapped and then killed alongside your father while your mother died of tumor. Your only family is Alaric over there," He pointed out to her uncle and she looked the way to see her uncle talking to some woman she recognized as his doctor when he had the ring problem. "and grandparents in California. Lovely couple, according to my hybrid." Ashley felt like she was losing her breath thinking all of the worst scenarios that he could have done to her grandparents. "Don't worry he didn't do anything to them. they're going to die sooner or later." Ashley controlled herself not to slap Klaus after what he said to her. "But I never knew you were half Sanchez."

"What does that mean?" She asked him and Klaus raised an eyebrow quite in shock that she didn't know.

"Your mother is Violet Sanchez, the daughter of Alexander formerly known as Alejandro Garcia and Susana formerly known as Renata Garcia."

All Ashley could think was other lies. More lies from her family coming to her since she moved to Mystic Falls and it was driving her crazy. She wanted to scream and talk to her uncle.

"Who moved in the U.S from Columbia in 1968. Two years before your mother was born in California." Ashley tried to pretend that these news were old to her but she then remembered that her emotions had already betrayed her.

"Why is this important?" She asked him and Klaus smirked at her.

"All in due's time." He walked away from her and Ashley wanted to follow him so she could punch him and get some answers but she knew that she's not going to get them from him.

She went to find her uncle but both him and the woman had disappeared something. Ashley ran a hand through her hair running the curls as she felt so overwhelmed by the thing that just happened with Klaus.

"Hey." Damon walked towards her and she turned to look at him. "Have you seen Stefan?"

"Stefan is here?" Ashley asked with a raised eyebrow giving Damon the answer. He didn't say anything, he only pulled his phone out and Ashley guessed he was calling Stefan. Ashley heard Stefan's voice on the other side of the phone but she couldn't make the words.

"Why the hell do you have Elena's phone?" She knew immediately that there was trouble waiting them. She then heard Elena yell through the phone and Damon's eyes showed concern. "Stefan, leave her out of this." Just then, Ashley heard the phone get ended and she knew it was Stefan.

"What is going on?" She asked Damon and he turned to her.

"Have you seen Klaus?" She pointed to the direction and Damon nodded at her. "Take a cab and go home, okay?" Ashley gave him a curt nod and Damon walked away from her while she got out to go to her apartment.

* * *

"Ric, this is my fifth time calling you. Please pick up, I need to tell you something important." She ended the voicemail and let out a sigh. She slumped in her bed and typed 'Columbia, Garcia' but she got nothing. She looked down to her pyjamas before looking at the laptop.

"Why are you searching Columbia for?" She heard a voice behind her which made her jump from her the couch and almost drop the laptop. She turned to see Damon with his feet on the coffee table now.

"Warn me before you speak." Damon gave her a questioning look and she rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean."

"I don't but I'm just going to get that behind us. So, why are you searching for Columbia and the surname Garcia?" Ashley sighed before looking at Damon.

"Well, Klaus did some digging of my life and he found out that my mom's real surname is Garcia, not Sanchez. My grandma who I thought was named Alexander Sanchez was in fact Alejandro Garcia and my grandma who I thought was named Susana is in fact Renata." Damon seemed to be shocked with the news as he parted his lips a little.

"I don't know what to say expect that Klaus knows how to dig up dirt on families." Ashley gave him an annoyed look and Damon just shrugged her shoulders

"I was thinking about asking Alaric about this but he might juts be clueless because he really doesn't know my grandparents."

"Alaric doesn't know anything, he tends to tell a lot when he gets drunk." Ashley chuckled at that and Damon smirked at her. She closed the laptop and put it in the coffee table.

"What happened with Elena?" Ashley asked sitting better in the couch and supporting her head in her arm.

"Stefan threatened to kill her in the same bridge that her parents died and where he saved her." Ashley raised an eyebrow and thought that what Stefan had intended to do was horrible.

"That's just horrible." She said and Damon gave her a surprising look. "What?"

"I didn't know you could show sympathy towards Elena." Ashley tilted her head and let out a laugh.

"Elena pisses me off cause she makes herself the victim all the damn time and she clearly plays with both you and Stefan."

"She doesn't trust me. Katherine played with us, she didn't even bother to hide it."

"Katherine didn't care that she was using you too and she knew that she was doing something bad, she knew she was ruining yours and Stefan's relationship but she admitted that she was doing it while Elena for example is doing the same thing but she's not admitting it. She's stringing you both, maybe not right now as Stefan pretends not to care about her but she did when he was with Klaus and I'll bet she did it before." Damon didn't speak at all for a few minutes and Ashley tried to catch his eye but he wasn't looking at her.

"Every time, I talk to her or even look at her I think of you and your annoying words." Ashley chuckled and Damon finally looked at her.

"I'm known to ruin romance. My best friends don't watch romcoms or anythings with romance because of me."

"What happened with you and Felix tonight?"

"We broke up." Ashley revealed to her and Damon raised an eyebrow at her. "He was pissing me off. He was even jealous of you." Damon raised an eyebrow at her and Ashley anticipated what would he say.

"Can you really blame him?" Damon smirked at her and did his usual eye thing.

Ashley scoffed at him but then she looked away. "It was good to break up with him. You know, I wasn't feeling the chemistry with him."

"The chemistry?" Damon asked with a smile on the corner of the lips.

"Shut up." Ashley told him and she began to laugh a little. When she looked at Damon's blue eyes, she was lost in seemed so filled with joy in that moment and that made her heart swell into place. She then noted that he was looking at her too. There was something about the way that they held their stares that made her shiver a little. They way his blue eyes watched her like he was trying to know every fiber of her.

And that was to Ashley, chemistry.

* * *

 _ **I'm really sorry for the short update but I promise the next one will be a long update as Ashley is going to see her grandparents and ask them about the whole Garcia thing and don't worry there will be moments with Damon in the next chapter. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter and thank you for the favorites and follows.**_

 _ **NicoleR85:**_ She's going to confront him about the matter again in the later chapters as it becomes an issue with her.

 _ **SomebodyWhoCares:**_ I'm really glad that you liked that Ashley stood up to Alaric. Yes, Dean Winchester is a fine man and he could give the TVD boys a run for their money (no offense to my TVD boys but let's be honest). If Ashley met Dean because of him travelling another dimension, I don't think we would have Ashley with us anymore.

 _ **beautifulwhiterose:**_ In this chapter, Damon would start to see Ashley's point of view and see that she is actually right but you shouldn't forget that you have Rebekah even though she is daggered.

 _ **Adela:**_ I'm glad that you loved the chapter and I hope you'll enjoy this one too.

 _ **galwidanatitud:**_ Amen to that!

 ** _BlueBloodsSVUOrder:_** Here is the update!

 _ **Ray:**_ Well, the ending in this chapter will be even more exciting. Here is the update!

 _ **P.S. I have another story about TVD and it's called 'More Than Vampires'. Some of you are maybe reading it and some maybe aren't but I would love for you to give me some reviews and tell me if you like it or not, the choice is yours.**_


	14. Azul

_**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE VAMPIRE DIARIES, I JUST OWN MY CHARACTERS AND THEIR STORY LINES.**_

* * *

Blue sky. She looked at the blue sky in front of her which had a few clouds here and there but it wasn't the sky she was admiring. It was the perfect color of it. Blue.

She had always loved that color since she was a little girl. Even if blue was more of a color for boys according to the world but Ashley knew better than that. She knew that people shouldn't choose what color goes with the girls or what colors goes with boys.

They were many reasons why she loved the color blue and the sky was one of them but so was the sea. Her favorite place to be when she was a little girl, where she learned how to swim and try to surf. She loved the color blue because the kitchen that she was raised was painted blue. She loved the color blue because it reminded her of peace, not sadness as other people thought of it. She loved how it sounded in Spanish.

Another reason was added a few months ago, it was the color of someone's eyes. Someone who had come to her life so abruptly but she had enjoyed every second of it. The sarcasm, the winks and that smirk that she had wanted to wipe from his face so many times.

"I'm sorry, miss." Ashley turned to look at the flight attendant who had a smile on her face as she looked at the dark haired girl. "I need to put your seat belt on as we are going down."

She nodded her head and gave the flight attendant a smile before the woman walked away. She grabbed her seat belt and buckle it around her torso. She took a deep breath and then she felt the plane go down in a few minutes.

Ashley took a deep breath as she felt her stomach turn. She closed her eyes so she could relax a little. She always hated landing when she was in a plane since she was a little girl.

After a few minutes, the plane touched the ground and Ashley let out a sigh in relief as they had landing. The pilot spoke through the speakers so they could get up from their seats and Ashley did so.

She put her jacket on and moved in the line to get out of the plane. She was tired and couldn't even sleep considering that the man behind her was snoring for all the flight.

Ashley yawned as she walked through the airport knowing quite well that she had to find a taxi and it was going to cost a lot because her grandparents lived in a small house in Malibu beach and they had no idea that she was coming to visit them.

Alaric had advised her to talk to her grandparents but she didn't want to. She wanted to know why they changed their names and why is being a Sanchez such a big deal according to Klaus. Klaus and his big mouth had gotten her to go here as if she was in Mystic Falls, she would probably be serving Damon and Alaric their daily bourbon clueless of all the secrets that their grandparents hid from her and possible her mother too.

Ashley got her duffel bag and started to walk out of the airport. It was 12 am and she knew that there would be plenty of taxis outside of it nut she had to hurry a little bit.

She raised her hand and saw a taxi come close to her. She immediately took the taxi and entered it. "Miami beach, please." The taxi driver nodded his head and Ashley leaned her head to the seat before she got her phone out and turned off the airplane mode.

She then saw that Alaric had called her a few times and so did Damon but of course less. She called Alaric and waited for him to answer.

 _"Hello?"_ He groaned the response more than he said and Ashley knew that he had been drinking.

"How many glasses of bourbon did you drink, Ric?" She asked as she looked through the window at the city she grew up in.

 _"I'm tired and I didn't sleep well."_ He responded and Ashley scoffed at him as she thought of him laying on a bed.

"You didn't sleep well? I was next to man who did nothing but snore. It kept me up in all the flight." Ashley explained as the sun shined in the cab's window making her squint a little.

 _"Have you told your grandparents that you are visiting them?"_ Ashley bit her lip a little feeling guilty for not tell her retired and old grandparents that she is spending a few days at their house.

"No, I didn't even think about telling them. I just want some answers, Ric. In less than one month, I found out all these secrets that my family had been keeping from me. I need some clarity in my life once in awhile." Ashley spoke in a hushed tone for the driver not to listen to her talk about her family problems.

 _"It's your decision. Just, don't do anything stupid."_ Ashley hummed as she thought about all the scenarios that the talk with her grandparents could go but she knew that she could never really be mad at them. She couldn't even think of a scenario angry with them.

"Call you later, Ric." Ashley said goodbye to her uncle and he mumbled one too. With that, she put her phone in her pocket and waited to be in her destination.

* * *

"Alex, you are one lazy ass man!" Ashley heard a yell come from the indie of the house. "You can't even look at who is outside."

"My legs are hurting, I mowed the lawn." The dark haired girl turned to look at the garden behind her, only a half of it was mowed. _Classic grandpa,_ Ashley thought but her thoughts were interrupted by someone opening the door. Her grandmother whose frown was replaced by a sweet smile immediately.

"Oh my God, my beautiful Ashley!" Her grandma wrapped her arms around Ashley and the girl couldn't help but smile as she hugged her only grandma. She smelt the familiar scent of vanilla that her grandma said.

"Who is at the damn door, Susan?" A few feet away from them stood her grandfather Alex or to be true Alejandro looking at them with a confused look.

"Hi, Abuelo!" She greeted him and the man forgot that his leg was hurting as he moved to hug her as soon as she pulled away from her grandmother.

"Your pain in the leg just passed magically, Alex?" Her grandmother asked the man she was hugging making Ashley laugh a little.

"Ashley here always took away my pain." He squeezed her a little and Ashley moved to whisper in her ear.

"Good save." He chuckled as she then pulled away from him and turn to look at both of them.

"Why did you come to visit us?" Her grandmother asked with her sweet voice that had soothed Ashley in her hardest times.

"Many reasons Abuela but one of them is that I missed the hell out of you too." Both of them laughed at her as her grandfather placed his hand on her back to lead her to the living room where Ashley got a sigh of the ocean. She smiled when she saw the blue of the sky meet the blue of the ocean.

"Sit my cupcake while I bring the cookies that I made yesterday. I didn't make your favorite but I know you like them." Her grandfather said and Ashley smiled at the man who loved cooking more than he loved sleeping. He disappeared in the kitchen and Ashley sat on the couch with her grandmother.

"He's cooking a lot these days, isn't he?" Ashley asked her grandmother who nodded her head as an answer.

"Yes, he is. More than me now. It relaxes me just like reading does to me." Her grandmother responded before pursuing her lips a little. "How is your uncle in Virginia?"

"He's great." Ashley lied through her teeth as she looked at her grandmother in the eye. "He had a hard time as his girlfriend passed away but he is better now."

Ashley couldn't believe that she was lying to her grandmother, she never could do that. "How did she pass away?" _An original hybrid sacrificed her in front of her niece and this same hybrid told me that you and Abuelo are lying to me my whole life._

"Car accident." Ashley again lied and her grandmother gave her a warming smile but Ashley felt horrible that she lied to her.

"Have you met any boys? Or girls? You may never know." Ashley giggled at her grandmother at her words before saying something.

"Had a boyfriend for a few weeks and I broke up with him two day ago." Ashley explained to her grandmother who pulled Ashley into a hug.

"You deserve so much better. Someone who will worship and adore you." Her grandmother told her and Ashley nodded her head but she pulled away from the embrace when she saw her grandmother come with oatmeal raisin and a glass of milk.

"Cookies and a glass of milk for my favorite niece." He put plate and the glass in the coffee table and sat in the love seat next o the couch.

"I'm your only niece." Ashley reminded him and he shrugged his shoulders a little.

"It would not make any difference if I had millions of nieces and nephews." Ashley's breath was caught when she thought about Sawyer, her brother who had been killed by the people who kidnapped him.

Her grandfather smiled at her and Ashley returned it but it didn't quite reach her eyes. She had come here for the truth but she was afraid to ask a damn question that could start it all.

* * *

The sky had turned black now and it had stars on it. Ashley was looking at them as they shined the beach while the waves from the ocean were heard nearby. She was wearing a grey sweatshirt with black leggings and her hair was wrapped in a messy bun.

She loved the quiet this place could give you. You didn't hear any cars or people screaming, just the ocean and its move towards the shore. She let out a contempt sigh and saw that her grandmother had joined her too.

"Your old grandpa fell asleep like he was a newborn baby." She told Ashley who nodded her head as she looked at the ocean before her. "Now, how about you tell me what are you trying to say but you're not saying it?"

Her grandmother's question took Ashley by surprise as she turned her gaze to the ocean to her grandmother who was sitting in the chair next to her. Her right eyebrow was cocked as she waited for her niece to say something but Ashley didn't know what to say first.

"I found a photo of Sawyer in Alaric's apartment." Her grandmother's mouth fell agape as she looked at her daughter in complete shock. "And I just found out that your real name is Renata while grandpa's is Alejandro and that your last name is not Sanchez, it's Garcia. So, how about you tell me why does this family hide so many secrets from me?"

"Ashley, about Sawyer-" Ashley raised her hand and turned her whole body towards her grandmother.

"Ric told me about Sawyer. He told e how he was kidnapped, how the people asked for a loan and how they killed both my father and brother in one single night. What I want to know is why did you move out of Columbia and changed your names."

"It's a long story, Ashley." That was the simple answer that her grandmother gave to Ashley but of course the girl didn't like.

"I'm staying here for a few days, Abuela. I think we got time." Ashley told her grandmother who let out a sigh before speaking.

"It was 1969, I was 19 years old and I had fallen in love with this man named Alejandro Garcia. He was handsome, kind and most importantly he adored me but my father didn't want me to marry him. He wanted me to marry another man who lived in America, a man named Travis Clinton who was a good man but not your grandfather. I didn't listen and I'm glad I didn't but..." Her grandmother trailed off as her eyes were covered with tears at the memory of her early life. "Your grandfather forgot to tell me something that his family had a dark side."

"Why does this sound like a horror movie?" Ashley wondered out loud and her grandmother sniffed before talking to her niece.

"Because it kinda is. Your grandfather was a brujo and is family practiced brujeria." Ashley could swear that her jaw had touched the porch of the house at the piece of information that her grandmother just shared with her. "That was my reaction too when your grandfather told me a few months after we got married."

"So what happened then?" Ashley asked as she crossed her legs o the chair as her grandmother looked at the ocean.

"I wanted to leave him, every part of me wanted to leave him. I was scared because I am a devout Christian." Her grandmother touched the cross she had around her neck as she told the story. "Brujeria was shunned by God according to my family but Alejandro never practiced it because he wasn't cut for it. He was a lousy brujo but he was the first son and he had to be there with a woman who was bruja too." Her mother's voice started to crack as she talked to her and Ashley moved her hand to hold hers. "His parents wanted me dead or gone but Alejandro didn't and he defied his family. We left our home and moved away but his family had joined sides with my family. One night in 1970, they came for us and I almost died. His brother almost killed me but Alejandro saved me by shooting his brother Gustav in the shoulder." Ashley could have sworn that her grandmother had been living in telenovela.

"We left the country that week and a few weeks later we were here in Los Angeles. We bought this place and your grandfather built it with his own hands all of it. When I got pregnant with your mother, we decided to change our names and last name so we wouldn't risk Violet's life and that was the best decision we ever made because my daughter was safe from both of our families."

"And clueless about the whole thing?" Her grandmother nodded as a response to Ashley's question and then Ashley let out a shaky breath. "I'm so sorry, Abuela." Ashley moved to hug her grandmother who had tears running down her cheek. "I'm sorry for making you talk about it."

"It's okay, honey." Her grandmother ran her hand across Ashley's back as the dark haired girl supported her head on it. "I needed to tell someone about this someday and I'm glad that it was my niece." Ashley pulled away from the embrace and made herself comfortable in the chair. "Don't tell your Abuelo that I told you, talking about this it makes him feel so bad and guilty."

"Of course, my mouth is shut." Ashley said to her grandmother who let out a hum before speaking to her.

"How did you find out about the whole thing?" The question didn't take Ashley by surprise as she knew that it would have been asked and she had a lie prepared.

"My friend Damon Salvatore wanted to find the roots of his family because he is Italian and he had such a history that he bragged all day about it. I wanted to shut up the idiot," She heard a chuckle come from the woman close to her. "I searched my family too. Searching the last name Saltzman was a bust so I searched Sanchez but there were no Alexander or Susan Sanchez. I asked the help of Damon and he hired some guy who found out the whole thing." It was bothering Ashley how easy she was lying without hesitating one bit.

"He hired someone for you?" Her grandmother asked with a raised eyebrow and Ashley shrugged her shoulders.

"Damon is filthy rich." Ashley told another lie without even having a bit trouble of thinking it. "I found about Alejandro and Renata Garcia."

"Is this reason why you came?"

"One of them." Ashley admitted and her grandmother didn't seem to be bothered by the truth. "Can I ask you a question?" Her grandmother nodded her head at Ashley. "What does the name Renata mean?"

"Born again."

* * *

"It's a beautiful day cupcake, isn't it?" His grandfather said as they looked at the morning view of the beach as they were eating their pancakes. She had been at her grandparents' house for few days now and she was having a good time.

"It sure is." Ashley as she cut one of her pancakes and then ate it. She looked at her phone as it buzzed meaning she got a message.

 ** _Damon:_** _There is something going on between a doctor named Meredith and your uncle._

 ** _Ashley:_** _What do you mean with something going on?_

 ** _Damon:_** _Flirty banter, secret glances at each other._

Ashley couldn't help but think that it sounded a lot like them but she again try to put that thought out of her mind as there wasn't her and Damon. It was just Damon and just Ashley.

 _ **Ashley:**_ _It must be sickening to watch._

 ** _Damon:_** _You have no idea. When are you coming here?_

 _ **Ashley:** Tomorrow afternoon. Why? Did you miss me?_

 ** _Damon:_** _Well, your bitchiness and those legs of yours._

Ashley couldn't help but smile at the text she had just got from Damon but little did she know that both of her grandparents were looking at her with some sort of suspicious look.

 _ **Damon:** Plus, you missed seeing this eternal stud._

 ** _Ashley:_** _Eternal stud? Really?_

 ** _Damon:_** _We both know I am the Eternal Stud._

 ** _Ashley:_** _Sure you are._

 ** _Damon:_** _I'm gonna ignore that you wrote that. What did you find out about your grandparents?_

 ** _Ashley:_** _I need to tell you that in person cuz it's a long story._

 ** _Damon:_** _Drinks in the Grill tomorrow?_

 ** _Ashley:_** _Yep._

"You talking to Damon?" Ashley almost dropped the phone at the voice of her grandmother and turned to look at her grandparents who had big grins on their faces. "He asked you on a date."

"We're just friends." Ashley said without missing a beat making her grandfather laugh a little.

"That's what your mother said about Adam too when she met him in college. Less than a year, she got married." Ashley raised her hands as to stop her grandfather for a moment.

"Damon and I are just good friends and don't bring marriage into this, okay?" Her grandparents nodded their head and Ashley began to eat her pancakes putting her phone.

"Hanna or Eva?" Ashley raised an eyebrow at her grandmother as she had her mouth full of pancakes. "Which one is going to be your maid of honor?"

* * *

 _ **So sorry for the long wait but I hope you enjoy this chapter. I'm not going to write 'The Ties That Bind' or 'Bringing Out The Dead' because I don't see Ashley fitting in those episodes at all. The next chapter will be Dangerous Liaisons which is my favorite episode because the Originals and let me just say that I'm Klaroline trash. Always was and always will be.**_

 _ **We will see Ashley meet the other Originals and that is going to be interesting because I love the Mikaelson family and the episode will be a Dashley centric one so get ready because it's gonna be such a wonderful ride to come.**_

 ** _When you read this chapter, you found about Ashley's grandpa being a brujo and let me just tell you that is so fun to write this part of Ashley's story. There is a lot more to come._**

 ** _NicoleR85:_** I'm so glad that you like the chapter. I hope you'll enjoy this one too.

 _ **SomebodyWhoCares:**_ I would love to do an episode where Ashley meets Dean or even creates a fake Dean because I really would like to write Dean. In fact not just Dean but the whole Supernatural characters because I love them. Ashley can speak Spanish but not that good but it will be shown in the future chapters.

 _ **Percy Ross Vulturi Uchiha:**_ I'm glad that you like the story more and I hope you will enjoy this chapter and the other ones that are to come even more XD. Ashley is going to be shooting more truth bombs about Elena or to be true about the whole Mystic Falls gang. There will be a particular scene in the next chapter between Stefan and Ashley that I hope you will enjoy. Damon and Ashley's relationship is going to take a turn in the next episode.

 _ **galwidanatitud:**_ Ashley knows that there is something going on between her and Damon but she is trying to push it away considering that he is a vampire, in love with another woman and that he is her uncle's best friend. Other people will start to see that something is going on between them.

 _ **Ninja Vampire xx:**_ I'm glad that you think the story is amazing and that you adore Ashley and like that she tells the truth about Elena. Here is the new chapter.


	15. Dangerous Liaisons

**_You guys have no idea how excited I am for this episode because I have to admit that is one of my favorites of all seasons because of so many reasons and I have been waiting forever to write Ashley in this episode because I have so many things prepared for this one and I am so excited to finally write them._**

 ** _DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE VAMPIRE DIARIES, I JUST OWN MY CHARACTERS AND THEIR STORYLINES_**

* * *

"You should have called me the moment you were at the hospital." Ashley told Elena as they were talking outside Alaric's room. Apparently, Ashley had missed a lot when she had been in California and one of them was that the serial killer who was roaming in Mystic Falls had made her uncle as the new victim but thankfully Elena had only found him hurt until she had killed him as she was a supernatural creature and the Gilbert ring would have worked if she killed him.

"Damon said it was not a good time." Elena defended herself and Ashley let out a frustrating sigh before glancing at her uncle who was now sleeping in his hospital bed.

"Either way, thank you." Elena frowned at what Ashley just said who still had her eyes on her uncle.

"What?" Elena asked thinking she didn't hear the dark haired girl making Ashley turn to her with a raised eyebrow.

"I said thank you." Elena was still having a hard time processing what she had said to her. "Damn Elena, I know you weren't the brightest bulb but I didn't think you were this fucking slow."

"Why are you always rude to her?" A voice came into their conversation and Ashley looked up to see that it was Matt speaking.

"I'm rude to everyone." Ashley responded and then she turned again to look at her uncle who was still in his slumber. "Where is Damon? You have any idea." Elena shook her head and Ashley pursued her lips before turning to look at the two teenagers in front of her. "Well, goodnight. I'll stay with him tonight."

Both Elena and Matt nodded their head and mumbled a goodbye before walking away from her. Ashley entered the room and moved to cover her tired and hurt uncle with the sheets before noticing a phone in the table on the other side of the bed. She moved to see who it was knowing fully well it wasn't hers or her uncle's. She turned the lock screen on to see that it was Elena's.

Ashley cussed under her breath before moving to the direction Elena went to give the phone back to her. Ashley hurried a little to find Elena and she did in the parking lot getting in her car.

"Elena." She called her name but Elena didn't have time to turn as someone appeared in front of her. A blonde Ashley for sure knew was daggered by Elena herself. Rebekah. "Oh my God!" Ashley exclaimed as she got her phone and rang Damon a few times but he wasn't picking up. She was done waiting when she saw Elena being slammed by Rebekah against the car.

Ashley ran towards Elena when she saw Rebekah lean into her neck but someone had been faster than her. Someone Ashley had never seen in her life. It was a man. A tall man with dark brown hair and barely seen through the dark brown eyes. He was wearing a dark suit that would have made Ashley drool if she wasn't in the situation she was at the moment.

This mysterious man was holding Rebekah by the throat and the blonde seemed to have a betrayed look as she gazed the man.

"Elijah." Ashley heard Rebekah said as she walked over to Elena to see if the brunette was okay. She then remembered her uncle mentioning Elijah. He was the first Original they met and the one who had betrayed them in the end by not killing Klaus who was Elijah's half brother. What her uncle forgot to tell her was how handsome Elijah really was.

"Leave." Elijah ordered his younger sister and Rebekah's first response was to remove his hand away from her throat before narrowing her eyes at him. "Are you challenging me?" Ashley could feel heat radiate through her body at the way Elijah spoke but she kept herself in control as she looked at Elena to see if she was okay but she only got a nod from the doppelganger.

"You're pathetic." Rebekah told her brother who didn't seem to be affected by her words. "Both of you." Rebekah said looking at the brunette next to Ashley before resting her eyes on Ashley. "Hi, Ashley." And with that Rebekah used her vampire speed to disappear from their sight leaving both Elena and Ashley confused.

"Well..." Elijah's voice pulled both the girls from their daze to look at him. "I believe we have a little catching up to do." Although Elijah was talking to Elena, his eyes were on Ashley who was still confused with the whole situation. "First order of business, who might you be?"

* * *

The next morning, Ashley had found herself going to Elena's house after staying at the hospital all night as she was called by Damon for a much needed talk. She was sitting on one of the chairs, Damon sat on the table, Stefan was standing in front of her and Elena was fixing some things behind the kitchen island.

"It was their mother Esther who was sealed in that coffin." Elena informed the two brothers what Elijah had told both Ashley and her last night. Elijah had asked to talk to Elena alone but Ashley had insisted to stay with the brunette because she didn't trust the handsome Original.

"As in the Original Witch?" Stefan asked and Ashley hummed as an answer.

"What? How is she even alive? Thought her hybrid freak show of a son ripped her heart out a thousand years ago." Damon spoke from his seat in total confusion at the fact that Esther was alive.

"I though I had family issues." Ashley mumbled at what Damon had said about Klaus ripping his mother's heart.

"I don't know. I'm guessing she has a couple connections in the witching community. Elijah said that she wants to live in peace with her family, including Klaus." Elena explained to the brothers which made them more angry about the whole situation.

"She was supposed to be the weapon to help us kill Klaus." Stefan seemed to be more angry than the others as he had trusted to give the witch to Bonnie and her mother.

"Well, not anymore" Ashley trailed off as she looked at the trio around her. "at least not according to that gorgeous man." Ashley realized what she said by the looks they all gave her. Elena had a disbelieving one, Stefan seemed to be showing a hint of smile while Damon had his mouth curled up in a snarl and his blue eyes that most of the times reminded her of ice, now were almost on fire. "I mean Elijah."

"Nice save." Stefan commented making Ashley glare at him. "That coffin was the only thing stopping Klaus from tearing us to shreds." Stefan walked to the other side of the room making Ashley shiver at his use of words.

"Anyone else feeling a little used right now?" Damon spoke out of nowhere and Ashley turned to look at him but he avoided her as he looked straight forward.

"Look, Elijah promised me that his family wouldn't hurt any of us." Elena informed the brother who both practically scoffed at her words. Elena was interrupted by saying any other words as the bell rang. "I believe him."

Elena moved to answer the door but the three others didn't move from their places. "Didn't you guys trust Elijah before? Which ended up with you getting betrayed and Klaus still being alive."

"What?" Damon finally said a word to her making her head snap at his direction. "You don't trust the gorgeous man?" Ashley sensed something that he wished she didn't in Damon's words but she wasn't going to comment it but that didn't mean the other person in the room wasn't going to.

"If I didn't know you better brother, I would think you are jealous of Ashley's opinion about Elijah." Ashley understood the famous words _'you could cut the tension with a knife'_ because in that moment you could. From Damon's glare towards his brother, to Stefan's taunting smirk and to her uncomfortable feeling, it was an understatement that there was tension in the room.

Luckily for her, Elena entered the room holding an envelope with her name written on it. "What is it?" Ashley asked to get her mind off what just happened seconds go. Elena opened the envelope and everyone's attention was turned to her.

"It's an invitation. "Please join the Mikaelson Family, this evening at seven o'clock. For dancing, cocktails and celebration."" Ashley frowned at the family name not remembering any Mikaelson in her life.

"Who the hell are the Mikaelsons?" Stefan asked what she was thinking as he moved closer to Elena.

"The Original family." Elena guessed and then Ashley connected the dots of the last name of the family.

"For a family who calls themselves the Originals, originality isn't their strong point is it?" Ashley commented as she rose from her seat and moved to look at the invitation.

"It's not bad enough they're moving into town, now they want a housewarming gift?" Damon spoke with his usual sarcasm on his voice making a hint of smile appear on Ashley's features.

Elena turned the card over and Ashley saw that there was something written on the back. "Wait, there's a note on the back. "Elena, I think it's time that we finally meet, Esther.""

"That's not cryptic at all." Ashley mumbled as everyone stared at the invitation in Elena's hands.

"If Esther wants to talk to me, maybe I should find out why." Elena said making Ashley raise her eyebrow at Elena's naive words.

"Well that's a dumb idea." Ashley and Damon spoke in sync before they turned to look at each other. Ashley brushed the feeling that she felt when her dark eyes met Damon's blue ones. "She already tried to kill you once." Damon continued alone and Ashley nodded her head in agreement.

"No, Elena is right. Bonnie was led to open that coffin for a reason. I think there is more to this than just some family reunion." While Ashley wasn't surprised with Stefan's words as she was used seeing him like a person who didn't care, Elena and Damon weren't.

"Can we go back in time where the old Stefan cared if Elena lived or died?" Damon snapped at his brother and Ashley could feel that she was going to get in the middle of the whole love triangle thing.

"What for? It's your job now." Stefan shot back and Ashley wanted to say something like how that burn Stefan gave Damon needed some aloe vera but she stayed silent.

"Stefan has a point, Damon. I should find out what she wants." Elena spoke for herself as she shared a look with the younger Salvatore brother.

"You can't protect yourself." Damon reminded Elena leaving her with no valid argument.

"Okay fine, then I'll go." Stefan volunteered but somehow his idea was dumber than Elena's.

"You've pissed off enough Originals to last a lifetime. I'll go." Damon snatched the invitation from Elena's hands surprising the brunette.

"Hey!" Elena protested but the card was already on Damon's hands.

"End of story." Damon said but somehow Stefan wasn't agreeing with his brother.

"The Originals aren't your biggest fans either but there is someone here they quite like." Stefan trailed off and turned to look at Ashley, his gaze was followed by Elena and Damon.

"Me?" Ashley asked at the same time Damon asked "Her?"

"Rebekah likes her and Klaus finds her amusing. I know for a fact that Rebekah doesn't like people that much and neither does Klaus." Stefan explained to his brother completely ignoring Ashley who was looking at him with frowned eyebrows.

"That makes me an easy pawn." Ashley reminded Stefan and Damon nodded his head in agreement but the dirty blonde vampire had already made his mind.

"An easy pawn doesn't admit she is an easy one." Stefan pointed out as he moved to face the dark haired girl. "I'm not saying to jump on their bones even though you wouldn't mind with Elijah." Ashley was about to open her mouth to speak but Stefan beat her to it. "I'm saying that you should try to distract them if Damon decides to snoop around if he thinks that there is something suspicious."

"That's a dangerous idea, Stefan." Damon warned his little brother with a cold voice that made Ashley shiver but Stefan didn't seem to mind.

"What afraid that Elijah might swoop her off her feet before you do, brother." Ashley sighed at Stefan's again taunting words towards his brother while Damon clenched his jaw ready to punch his little brother at any given time.

Yet both Ashley and Damon forgot that Elena was standing there looking at the two of them in total disbelief and being the reason why Stefan said those words.

He got a reaction from her and it wasn't just disbelief. It was jealousy too.

* * *

Ashley was cleaning the tables in the Grill as it was the beginning of the lunch rush and she had to get all of the tables. Alaric had practically kicked her out of the hospital room saying that she needed sleep but Ashley knew the true reasons was the doctor named Meredith Fell who couldn't stop flirting with her uncle.

She hadn't told her uncle that she was going to the Mikaleson ball because she knew he would be worried sick about her all night in the hospital, so she lied that she was covering an extra shift for a coworker. A lie he only believed because he had been distracted with Meredith Fell.

"Here." Ashley almost dropped the rag she was holding at the sound of the British accent she heard next to her.

She turned to face the blonde from last night who had pulled her hair again in a ponytail. She was holding an envelope with Ashley's name and last name written on it. "Your invitation for the ball. I know you must have heard it from your little community so I decided to give you a proper invitation."

Ashley placed the rag on the table nearby and took the envelope from Rebekah. "Thanks, I guess."

"I was about to ask you to be my brother's date-"

"Elijah's." Ashley cut off Rebekah earning a raised eyebrow from the blonde. "What? He was hot."

"Not Elijah, Finn. But I overheard Elena and Caroline that you are going with _Damon_." Rebekah emphasized on the name that belonged to the older Salvatore brother making Ashley roll her eyes a little. "So, what did I miss?"

"Stefan is just messing with Elena." Ashley didn't exactly lie because she was sure that the younger Salvatore brother was messing with the doppelganger.

"You don't like Damon then?" Rebekah asked her and Ashley let out a sigh before responding to the blonde.

"If I didn't like Damon, I wouldn't consider him as my friend."

"Per example if you didn't have vervain in your body, would you let me ask you that question by compelling you?" Ashley's lips parted at Rebekah's suggestion before she came to her senses.

"That would put our friendship in jeopardy." Ashley pointed earning a smirk from Rebekah.

"You are a clever one, Ashley Saltzman. Yet you haven't proven me that you don't like Damon Salvatore." Rebekah turned on her heel and walked away from Ashley who was done even arguing about it.

She continued on her work of cleaning the tables as she saw more people were entering the Grill. She had to clean them faster now and she did.

She then started to take orders from every table in her section before giving them those orders and having to move around for any complaint or anything they wanted more of her like a glass of water or more ketchup.

Three hours later, Ashley was done with her shift and found herself getting dressed to go to her apartment. She was going to go there with a taxi in the ball as Damon had told her that they would meet inside the big mansion.

"You were invited too?" She heard Matt ask her and she turned to see that he had changed to his regular clothes.

"Yeah, I was going with Damon but then got a personal invitation from Rebekah herself. You too?" Ashley asked as she noticed the invitation in his hands.

"Rebekah asked me to be her date." Ashley's eyebrows shot up in surprise at Matt's words. "Was I supposed to say no?"

"If you wanted to you could but it was better that you didn't." Ashley admitted as she moved to get her clothes from her locker. "Plus, Rebekah isn't that bad."

"She's an Original." Matt reminded her and Ashley frowned a little before she spoke.

"One who hasn't killed anyone you love or your friends love." Ashley added as she took off her shirt while Matt scoffed.

"She wanted to kill Elena yesterday."

"Elena daggered her after Rebekah gave Elena her trust. What would you expect for Rebekah to hug her?" Matt didn't say anything else as he walked away from Ashley who moved to wear the rest of her clothes.

As she walked to her apartment, she wondered what she was going to wear as she had nothing that fancy for a ball. She had to wear her best long dress to make herself somehow presentable.

Ashley stopped in her tracks as she reached her apartment door to see a box on the ground. She picked it up to see that there was a letter attached to it.

She picked the box and unlocked the door of the apartment. She closed the door with her foot as she moved to place the box in the dining table. She moved to get the card and opened it.

 _'You'll thank me later.'_

Ashley frowned at the message wondering who sent the card and the box. She thought if she would open the box, she would know who sent it. She dropped the card on the table and opened the box only the sight of what was inside to leave her breathless. A dress. One of the most beautiful one she had ever seen.

She picked the dress up and looked at it with a long gaze. It was a long black dress that went below her feet. It was all in black with a few floral details here and there. It was a sleeveless dress. The torso of the dress was tight but it went so loose that it would be considered puffy if not for the material.

Ashley was too stunned by the dress at first to even think who sent it to her. She put the dress down to read the note again but hrt best guesses were Rebekah and Damon. She was of course leaning into the latter one.

Ashley smiled as she put the card down and touched the fabric of the dress.

* * *

 _Where the hell was Ashley?_

Damon wondered as he was walking around the big mansion that belonged to the Mikaelson family with a glass of champagne.

He looked all over the place for the dark haired girl who he thought of more than he liked to admit.

Damon had no idea how but he could feel himself fall into Ashley Saltzman's spell. He didn't know what made him fall for it. Maybe her bitchy attitude towards everyone, her honesty that sometimes was the thing that made him smile the most, her personality that was so confusing for him that made him want to know her more. Or was it her smile that could heal people, her laugh that made everyone turn to look at her or was it her behind that was quite impressive in his opinion.

He knew it was wrong. He knew it was wrong to like his best friend's niece but he couldn't help it. He had more self control around Elena then around Ashley most of the times. Maybe it was because with Ashley, he could get out of his comfort zone and she wouldn't judge as Elena would do.

Damon brushed his thoughts off as he saw Carol Lockwood a few feet away drinking some champagne. "Hello Carol." He greeted with his infamous smirk.

"Hello." She greeted back before they clinked their glasses together.

"Hanging out with your new besties?" Damon teased her as he put the glass of champagne next to his lips.

"I'm the mayor, Damon. When the oldest, deadliest, family of vampires moves into your town, you welcome them with a smile." She responded to his question with a graceful smile.

"Hmm, Well at least you know who you're borrowing that cup of sugar from." Damon joked making her turn to look at him a little annoyed.

"I'm trying to protect this town. They've assured me they want peace, and I've assured them that I'd enforce it." She explained to him and Damon hummed a little.

A man with light brown hair approached them and Damon could swear that he met him somewhere. "Mayor Lockwood." The young man took the woman' hand and kissed the back of it. "Kol Mikaelson." _Another Original,_ Damon thought as he looked at the man who was speaking with Carol. "I hope your lovely town embraces us just as much as we plan to embrace it."

Damon held out his hand for Kol to shake as he looked at him one more time. "Damon Salvatore. Have we met?" The youngest of the Mikaelson men barely glanced at Damon and he ignored his hand.

"I've met a lot of people. And you don't particularly stand out." With that, Kol walked away from him and Carol. Damon, displeased with what Kol said wanted to say something back but his eyes trailed on something else. Or rather someone else.

Ashley. She looked so stunning standing there at the door talking to the man who opened the door to her. Damon would have been on the floor dead if he wasn't a vampire because she took his breath away.

There she stood wearing a black dress that was made perfectly for her in his opinion. She looked like she was some sort of a goddess deciding to go to a ball as she was bored playing with other gods.

The dress was big and loose on the bottom but tight on the top that it showed more of her cleavage something Damon didn't mind. It was sleeveless dress which showed her brown skin that he imagined to be the softest thing in the world.

His eyes then moved to her hair which were wrapped up in a perfectly neat bun that seemed to be held by a braid of her dark hair. There were no single strand of her hair loose and her beautiful neck was exposed fully to him making something in him twitch.

Then he gazed at first noticing that she hadn't put that much of makeup. The only thing visible for him was the dark red lipstick she had put on.

Damon seemed to have been staring at her for hours now, studying every inch of her in that dress before he was brought down to earth by Carol who cleared her throat.

"Excuse me, Carol." He walked away from the woman towards Ashley who was looking around the mansion in total awe.

"Hey." He greeted her making her head turn towards him. She immediately gave him a smile that made him almost trip in his own feet.

"Don't you look handsome?" She complimented him as her smile never disappeared from her face.

"Well Buffy, it's not me who everyone is looking at." Damon responded to her compliment expecting a flush of her cheeks or even for her to get a little bit red.

"Can you really blame them? Just look at me tonight." Somehow Damon likes this attitude of confidence than for her to blush at his comment.

"Where did you get the dress?" Ashley frowned at the question Damon just asked but she had no time to respond as she spotted someone who shouldn't be here.

"What is Elena doing here?" She asked as she saw the doppelganger chatting with a woman that Damon didn't know the name of.

He didn't even spare a look at what Elena was wearing as he rushed to talk to the brunette who had finished her conversation with the woman next to her.

"What are you doing here?" Damon practically hissed his question at Elena who was not the one to respond.

"I was about to ask her the same thing, brother." Stefan appeared with a glass of champagne as Ashley walked towards them too.

"Not following your own plan, Stefan? That is a new trick of yours." Ashley quipped at his brother making Stefan turn to her.

"I wanted to surprise you, guys. Plus, I knew Elena would come because she never listens." Stefan explained to Ashley and Damon decides to ignore both his brother and Ashley.

"Elena, you're not supposed to be here." Damon reminded to the brunette next to him who was barely looking at him.

"Well, I am. And I'm not leaving until I find out what Esther wants. So, shall we?" Elena offered her arm to Damon and he looked at her with hesitation before taking it. Completely, missing the look of slight betrayal that appeared on Ashley's face for a second before she hid it.

Damon walked away with Elena and he heard his brother mumble something about getting another drink leaving Ashley alone in the middle of the ball.

"I think I just made a new record of being bailed on." Ashley mumbled to herself as she watched Damon walk away with Elena.

* * *

Ashley tried to hide the feeling that she felt. She tried to hide the green monster inside of her known as jealousy but it was too late as it had already taken over her.

So what did Ashley do when jealousy took over her? Stuff food and drink alcohol and she was glad that the food in here was free because she was just going do to that.

She moved to the closest table and started to eat something that looked so fancy hat she felt ashamed to ask what it was because she was afraid that she would not pronounce it right.

It only took one bite and Ashley could have sworn that she was going to puke her brains out of what she just had tasted. The taste was so bad that Ashley practically threw it and it ended up in a woman's hair but the woman didn't notice it.

"Shit." Ashley cussed under her breath not knowing if she should follow the woman or not. She decided to at least help her out but she was stopped by a voice.

"I advise you not to tell her love." Ashley heard a familiar British accent that belonged no other than Klaus Mikaelson himself.

"It's going to ruin her whole night." She pointed out and Klaus chuckled as he walked over her.

"She's going to ruin her night even more." Ashley frowned at Klaus's use of words and she turned to look at him. "Heard Rebekah tell my brother Finn that you had a date and that date was Damon but as we both can see," Both of their eyes moved to Elena and Damon who were joined by Stefan again with another drink in his hand. "is busy with Elena right now."

"That doesn't mean my night is ruined." Ashley told him and Klaus didn't say anything as a response. "Where is your date then?"

"She will come." Was all he said making Ashley wonder who it was.

"Who is she?" Ashley asked out of curiosity but knowing Klaus, he would only give her hints.

"Caroline." He responded to her so casually but the response made her glad that she wasn't eating anything because she would have choked.

"So, you have a thing for blondes." The words slipped Ashley's mouth as soon as her mind went to her best friend Hanna and her one night stand with Klaus who was blonde just like the optimistic vampire.

"What did you say, love?" Klaus asked her making Ashley hold back a squirm. She looked around for any distractions and one appeared. Caroline herself came into the room looking beautiful in blue dress with silver jewelry embroidered in it.

"I said there is Caroline." Ashley pointed to the blonde with her head and Klaus was so taken back by how beautiful Caroline looked that Ashley swore his eyes would take the form of hearts.

She walked away from him quickly and move to the champagne fountain. "So this is how heaven looks like." Ashley joked as she moved to get a glass and pour herself some champagne.

After she did that, she began to walk all over the mansion in search for something to keep her mind off Damon and Elena.

"The woman of the 21st century have become more beautiful than the other century." She heard someone say and she turned around to see a young man around his 20s with a tall build, light brown hair, a mischievous smirk, brown eyes and a face that looked similar to Elijah.

"Which one of the two brothers I haven't met are you?" Ashley boldly asked making the man take her hand and place a kiss on it.

"Kol." The man known as Kol dropped her hand and smirked even more. "You must be Ashley."

"How did you know?" Ashley asked as she looked up at the handsome.

"My sister Rebekah described you to my brother Finn but you are way more beautiful in person." He winked at her and Ashley felt heat radiate through her body. What was with the Mikaelson always making her hot and bothered? "You are pretty lucky."

"Why would you say that?" Ashley asked before taking a sip from her champagne.

"If you were talking to Finn now, you would have died of boredom."

"I'm bored right now for that matter." Ashley pointed out making Kol's eyes twinkle with such mischief that it scared her a little.

"I could change that in a split second, darling. You should know that I'm the wildest of all the Mikaelsons." Somehow she believed that he was. The way he spoke and held himself was the first clue but Ashley didn't know where did his wilderness end.

"If you'll excuse me, I need my brother's presence for a moment." Her thoughts were interrupted by another Original but this one was familiar to her. After all, she met him yesterday and he took her breath away.

"Of course." Ashley gave Elijah one of her most graceful smiles she could muster and he gave a simple to her in return. Kol walked with Elijah but not before sending a wink towards Ashley that again made her feel heat all through her body.

"Pull yourself together." Ashley mumbled to herself before downing the rest of her drink. She placed it in one of the tables nearby before grabbing another one.

If she couldn't eat, she could at least drink so she could fill her stomach.

"Uh, if everyone could gather, please." Elijah spoke as he clinked his glass of champagne in front of all the people around him. Ashley moved so she could stay in front of the grand staircase in the mansion where the Mikaelson family was standing looking fine as hell. Ashley looked at each one of them and then she saw the Original that she had never met, Finn. She couldn't help but think of how good genes the family had. She then noticed a blonde middle aged woman descend the stairs from upstairs. She guessed that it was Esther, the woman who wanted to meet with Elena.

"Welcome, thank you for joining us. You know, whenever my mother brings our family together like this, it's tradition for us to commence the evening with a dance." Ashley had to admit that this family had some fancy way of tradition compared to her family. Her family's tradition was Tuesday Tacos. "Tonight's pick is a centuries-old waltz, so if all of you could please find yourselves a partner, please join us in the ballroom." Ashley looked for the man who was supposed to be her date tonight in this ball but he was talking to Elena making her let out a scoff in disbelief at Damon's antics tonight.

She gathered the skirt of her dress deciding to leave the ball as she wasn't doing anything in this stupid ball. "Care for a dance, Miss Saltzman?"

Ashley turned to face the person who spoke to her only to see Elijah offering his hand for her to take it. She hesitated for a second thinking it was better to go home and watch some Lifetime movie but that would make her look pathetic.

"Why not?" Ashley took his hand and the man led her to the other room where they were other dancing couples. She spotted Damon with Elena, Caroline with Klaus, Matt with Rebekah and Stefan with Mayor Lockwood. Somehow in her mind Stefan with Mayor Lockwood seemed more appeasing than Damon with Elena.

"You should just know that I don't know this dance so well." Ashley told Elijah as they linked their hands together.

"Don't worry, you just need to follow my steps." The way he spoke to her actually calmed Ashley and made her believe that she could actually dance without making a fool of herself.

The music began and they took their first step as the rest of the couples did behind and in front of them. There was pause as the march began again and Ashley was glad that she wasn't stumbling with her dress.

They did a few more steps like that before turning around and walking in the opposite direction. Ashley watched straight away especially when her shoulder grazed Damon's.

They stopped marching before turning around again and this time Elijah spun Ashley around. He placed a hand on her back while she placed hers on his shoulder before linking their arms together. When they started to waltz, Ashley felt some kind of relief rush through her body as she knew the steps.

"Niklaus told me about you." Ashley looked up after Elijah said those words as they moved around the ballroom. "About your mother's family."

"What about it?" Ashley asked as her grandmother's words surfaced on her mind.

"You are a bruja by blood and that makes you a good weapon." Ashley had already figured out that she was a bruja but she didn't get the weapon thing in her mind quite right.

"A good weapon?" Ashley asked and Elijah nodded his head at her.

"Unlike witchcraft whose powers come from nature, brujeria comes from passion and darkest desires which is harder to use but stronger than witchcraft." Elijah explained something that her grandmother didn't mention to Ashley. "Those powers might come in handy especially to your friends."

"What are you trying to say?" Ashley asked with a raised eyebrow but Elijah didn't seem to be phased by the look she was giving him.

"Don't let them use you." Ashley wanted to ask him a question but Elijah spun her out of his reach and Ashley knew she was going to switch partners now. She bumped into someone and she looked up only to meet blue eyes. Blue eyes that she was mad with.

"Why don't you look happy that you are dancing with me?" Damon asked her and Ashley wanted to scream at him but she bit her tongue and held herself.

"I don't know." Ashley pretended at first with a cool posture. "It's probably because you bailed on me to spend time with Elena." Ashley asked as they danced with each other without even looking at the other people.

"I would rather spend time with you than babysit her from doing something stupid." Damon's answers took Ashley off guard as she didn't have a smart comeback or any word to say to him. "What no smartass comment?"

"Shut up." Ashley told him as she scrunched her nose a little making Damon chuckle a bit.

"Either way, you look amazing tonight." Damon complimented her making Ashley squint her eyes a little.

"You already complimented me tonight."

"One doesn't make you any justice." Damon whispered those words in her ear making Ashley shiver under his touch and she knew for a fact that he noticed it.

Ashley turned to look at her right to see that Elijah was dancing with his sister and she couldn't help but think what he said to her. "You are so smitten with Elijah that you can't take your eyes off him?"

"I just wanted to see with who did my previous dance partner end up dancing." Ashley lied to the vampire she was dancing with. Damon didn't say anything, he only stared at the Original vampire a few feet away from them. "One thing for sure, he was a way better dance partner."

"Really?" Damon asked with a voice that Ashley knew wouldn't bring anything but trouble. She nodded her head and just then Damon started to spin her around breaking the circle of the waltz but Ashley didn't seem to care because what he did made her giggle.

What she didn't expect was for Damon to dip her down while their noses brushed against each other. The position that they were in made Ashley want to wrap both of her arms around his neck and pull him down kiss him but of course she didn't.

But that didn't stop her from trailing her eyes to his lips that seemed so kissable in that moment. She stared at them for a split second before she noticed that he had followed her gaze and was looking at her with some sort of hesitation in his eyes.

Like he was asking her if he could kiss her but it was not the time as they were surrounded by dozens of people.

Just then, Damon pulled her up and Ashley found herself wondering why but when she came to her senses, she saw that the music had stopped and everyone was staring at them.

"Where the hell is Elena?" Damon's question had ruined the special moment for her but she wasn't going to show it to him. So she hid her face by looking for any sign of Elena.

"I don't know." Ashley responded to him as she looked around the ball room but again Elena was nowhere in her sight.

* * *

They had been searching for Elena for minutes by now and Ashley was tired. The night was going a bust as they didn't find anything against the Originals or why did Esther want Elena.

"I think she went to meet Mama Original." Ashley whispered to Damon who curled up his lips into a snarl at the thought of Elena being in the room with the dangerous witch.

Damon was about to say something but he was interrupted by the buzz of his own phone. Ashley watched as Damon pulled his phone out and looked at the text message.

"She wants to meet in the library." He informed the dark haired girl and pulled her with him trying to find the library.

Little did they know that the mansion was filled with those but they eventually found Elena in one of them looking through the window.

"Got your text. What are we doing in here?" Ashley didn't think that Stefan would come out of nowhere and snap Damon's neck, that's why Ashley almost stumbled at the sight of Damon on the floor, his neck broken.

"What the hell?!" Ashley yelled at the younger Salvatore brother before looking at Elena who wasn't even showing any hint of regrets of what Stefan did to Damon. "Are you two out of your mind?"

Elena ignored Ashley as she moved to get out of the room and the dark haired girl was about to stop the brunette but was blocked by Stefan's body.

"Don't you even think about it." He told her sternly before turning to Elena. "Hurry up. He won't be down for long."Elena walked out of the room as Ashley knelt down to look at unconscious Damon.

"He will wake up soon." Stefan told her in a monotone voice but Ashley didn't pay any attention to him not until he let out a chuckle. "I knew he would be distracted by you tonight. I think the dress that I picked for you did one hell of a job."

"You sent this?" Ashley asked looking up to him but not moving from her position.

Stefan hummed as a response before letting another chuckle. "If I knew you would have wrapped my brother around your fingers so quickly, I would have preferred to meet you before."

"So, he wouldn't fall in love with Elena?" Ashley asked rising up from her position to face Stefan. "Or let's be honest, Elena wouldn't fall in love with him?" Stefan tried to hide his emotion but Ashley caught the glimpse of betrayal, jealousy and despair in his green eyes. "That's why you said those words in Elena's house, why you made me and Damon come together in this ball. You wanted to see Elena's reaction and I think you got it but you weren't happy about it."

Ashley thought that she had won this round but Stefan had a few other tricks up his sleeve. "I wonder what would Alaric think when he would learn that his best friend and niece have feelings for each other. You know that your uncle used to have some sort of episodes when you were younger."

She stayed silent but the glare that she sent him was enough to tell him to get out of her sight but he didn't.

Ashley sighed and decided that she should be the one leaving and she did without giving the Salvatore brothers a single look.

"Please, hide me from Klaus." Caroline said to Ashley as the dark haired girl was in her eighth glass of champagne.

"Why? Is he being a pain in the arse?" Ashley spoke with a fake British accent before giggling at herself. She moved to drink another glass of champagne.

"He told me he fancies me." Ashley spit her drink from her mouth and started to laugh earning a glare from Caroline and looks from other people.

"In those words?" Ashley asked between laughs and Caroline nodded her head but her eyes seemed like they wanted to kill the girl.

"It's not funny." Caroline protested as Ashley's laugh started to die off.

"It's cute though. The big Bad Hybrid is head over heels over you." Caroline pursued her lips and shook her head at Ashley's words. "Watch out, lover boy is coming."

The dark haired girl slipped away from Caroline as she moved to stand next to a table alone. She looked around and saw that Elena had finished her talk with Esther and now was talking to Elijah.

Ashley sighed as she looked down to her dress hating the whole ball and the fact that she came her only to spend most of her time alone in her self pity.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a crystal ringing in the room and she looked up to see Esther in the stairwell with a glass of red tinted champagne in her hands.

"Good Evening, Ladies and Gentleman. Waiters are coming around with champagne. I invite you all to join me in raising a glass." Ashley was about to take champagne from the waiter nearby her hut a voice stopped her.

"Miss! Mr Mikaelson wants to serve you this champagne." The waiter told her and Ashley looked at the glass of sparkling champagne but the color of it wasn't red like the other or normal like the ones she had been drinking but it was light pink that she had never seen in her life.

"Which one?" She asked him and he pointed his head which Ashley followed only to see thee oldest of Mikaelson brothers raising his glass at her.

She took the glass out of the tray and raises her champagne to him making a smile appear on Finn's face.

"It provides me with no greater joy then to see my family back together as one. I'd like to thank you all for being part of this spectacular evening. Cheers!" Ashley put the glass of champagne to her lips ans drank it finding the taste of the champagne better and sweeter.

She downed the glass on one try and placed the glass on the table before picking the skirt of her dress and walking away to a room with silence.

She found one and she took a seat in on of the chairs of the huge room. She let out a sigh and she could feel her body relax a little.

Never had she regretted coming to something in her life. She regretted more than her relationship with Felix and Nate.

Lonely. Loneliness had taken over her whole night. She had company here and there from people in the ball but no one stuck around or in Caroline's case, she didn't stick around.

The fact that she had spent hours getting ready made her even more angry.

Ashley huffed as she moved to stand in the balcony for some peace and quiet but she didn't have the pleasure.

"Why are people leaving you alone?" She heard the voice of Kol Mikaelson who was leaning against the threshold that linked the balcony with the mansion. "If I knew you well, I wouldn't leave you out of my sight."

"You should tell them that." Ashley mumbled as she looked down on the ground from the balcony.

"Now, which one of the men downstairs made you angry?" Kol teased her with the smirk that seemed to never disappear from his face.

"Men in general have been pissing me off for years." She responded to him coolly not sparing him a second glance but she felt him approaching her.

"You should know something about me," Ashley finally turned to look at the Original vampire with a curious look. "I'm not like other men."

"That's what every men say." Ashley pointed to him not noticing how close they were standing to each other.

"Do I need to prove myself to you?"

Ashley didn't know if it was the boredom, the loneliness or the fact that she had too much too drink but she couldn't help but say the words that came out of her mouth. "How are you gonna do that?"

Kol leaned closer to her but Ashley didn't move forward or backward. She stood there frozen but before could make another move they were interrupted by someone.

"You need to take a step back from her." Damon's voice was the coldest voice that Ashley had heard in her life and when she turned to face him, she looked at a stone cold Damon whose jaw was clenched, lips pursued and eyes narrowed.

"It's not your business, mate." Kol responded to him still wearing his smirk but Damon ignored him.

"Come on, Ashley." She quietly moved away from Kol but he caught her hand before she walked up to Damon.

"What the fuck? Let go of me." Ashley tried to yank her arm out of Kol's grasp but she only hurt herself.

"Let her go." Damon hissed his words and Kol looked at him with a challenging look but he didn't.

In a split second, Damon sped towards Kol and pulled Ashley out of his grasp before pushing the Original out of the balcony and then jumping himself down.

Ashley gasped as she looked down to see Damon snap Kol's neck. She immediately picked her dress up and started to descend the staircase of the mansion.

When she got on the first floor, she noticed that the Mikaelson family including Elena and Stefan were outside probably had seen the whole ordeal of Damon snapping Kol's neck.

"Damon! Are you crazy?" Stefan asked his brother who looked like he couldn't care less.

"Maybe a little." Damon responded as his eyes landed on Elena who was watching him with a disappointed look. "Far be it from me to cause a problem."

Damon turned his back and began to walk away while the Mikaelson walked to their unconscious brother. Ashley decided to follow the older Salvatore brother and she left the mansion.

"Damon." She called as she reached the parking lot where Damon was walking.

"What?!" He asked with a raised voice but Ashley had expected him to do something familiar to that.

"What did she say?" Ashley asked him in a soft voice which made him frown at first.

"Who?" Damon pretended to be clueless of what she meant but the head tilt and the raised eyebrow made him admit that he knew what she meant. "I apparently care too much."

"What is wrong with that?" Ashley asked taking a step closer towards Damon making him look at her with a questioning gaze.

"It's a weakness. She thought that made be a liability." Damon told her and Ashley wanted to turn around to give Elena an earful but in the moment Damon seemed to need her.

"Caring doesn't make you a liability, it makes a good person which to contrary belief is not a bad thing. Elena is lucky to have so many people care about her."

"You don't have that many people?" Damon asked and Ashley shrugged her shoulders a little.

"I think my limit is five." She replied with a huff and Damon took a step towards her.

"Try six." Ashley looked up to him to ask him what he meant but words left her brain when Damon pressed his lips against hers.

Ashley didn't hesitate for a split second to kiss him back and she did. She pressed her lips harder against him and her hands ended up in his shoulders.

Their lips began to move with each other in total harmony. The kiss was slow one as it seemed like both of them wanted to savor every moment of the kiss. There was no rushing at all because in that moment as they kissed, they were the only ones in this world.

Ashley couldn't help but feel like she had touched all of the stars in the sky of how the kiss was making her feel. She couldn't stop herself and she sure as hell didn't want to as she loved the feeling of Damon's lips on hers and the way they fit perfectly for each other in this kiss.

Unfortunately, she needed to pull away as the need to breath had been growing by the second. She took a deep breath as she rested her forehead against Damon's as his breath mingled with hers.

Ashley's dark eyes locked with his blue ones and in that moment, she realized what they did was wrong. Them kissing was wrong in so many levels.

Damon's own eyes showed that he agreed with her about their kiss. He only stared at her before he did something that she wasn't expecting. He used his vampire speed to disappear leaving Ashley in the parking lot alone.

"Coward." Ashley muttered under her breath but secretly wished that she had the same power as Damon.

She tried to take a step forward but she felt herself grow dizzy making her stop in her track. Ashley frowned as she could feel her head began to spin and her eyes start to flutter close.

Her eyes closed for a brief second but when they did, she was out like a light. She lost the balance of her body and her body dropped but she was caught by someone.

Finn Mikaelson. He caught her and picked her up in bridal style away before facing his mother. "Take her where I told you ." Finn nodded his head and sped in front of Esther who had a hint of smile in his face knowing her plan would work with the power of a bruja.

* * *

 ** _I started to write this chapter yesterday night and I finished it today because I was so excited to write this episode and I had so much ideas but I only put half of those ideas but still I love this chapter a lot. I had Ashley interact with most of the Mikaelson in a way and there would be plenty with Esther and Finn in the other chapter._**

 ** _In the next chapter, we would find why Esther took Ashley and the full potential of the power of brujeria which I'm excited to write and for you guys to read. There would be a pretty awkward moment between Damon and Alaric considering Damon kissed his niece plus, there will be a few scenes between Ashley and Damon too so hold on to that._**

 ** _BlueBloodsSVUOrder:_** Here is the update and I hope you enjoy it.

 ** _Adela:_** I'm glad that you liked the chapter and the talk Ashley had with her grandmother.

 ** _NicoleR85:_** I'm so happy you enjoyed the chapter and I hope you will enjoy this long one too. You'll see Ashley interacting with the other Mikaelson in this chapter a lot. Here is the update!

 ** _Ninja Vampire x:_** A lot happened between Ashley and Damon in the this chapter as you can see ;). I'm glad that you are enjoying the story and each update.

 _ **galwidanatitud:**_ Ashley has pretty cool grandparents which I based on my grandparents excluding the whole brujeria thing of course even though that would make my life so much interesting. Ashley won't tell her grandparents the truth until later on the story and it wouldn't be too pleasant fro them to hear.

 _ **SomebodyWhoCares:**_ Ashley wouldn't mind being friends with Sam Winchester and braid each other's hair(I mean who wouldn't XD). The Spanish will be in action in the next chapter a lot and she will surely talk smack to Damon in Spanish by the end of the chapter.

 _ **P.S. Thank you for all the favorites and follows I really appreciate it and they are really inspiring me to write more of this story so keep going if you guys want more frequent updates.**_


	16. All My Children

**_DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE VAMPIRE DIARIES, I JUST OWN MY CHARACTERS AND THEIR STORYLINES._**

* * *

The last thing she remembered was her eyelids closing and her body dropping but being caught by someone just in time.

 _Who caught her?_

That was the question that had been running through her head in the dark place she was stuck for endless hours now. No one was there with her. It was just her and some rope around her ankles and wrist and another one around her waist and chair.

She was at least thankful that they didn't put a gag around her mouth.

Ashley had screamed all night for someone to call but there was nothing. Not even the person who had taken her come talk to her or tell her to shut up.

Her eyes ended up looking at her beautiful dress that had been new yesterday but now looked ragged and had so much dust in it.

She loved the dress that Stefan had given to her to impress his brother.

 _Damon._ That handsome bastard who had given her one of the best kisses she had ever received before leaving her in the parking lot of the big mansion. He had fled and then she ended up getting kidnapped.

She despised him for doing that to her. He had left her and it had hurt but now she was more worried about the situation she was in.

It was a quite scary one. A messy and scary one.

Ashley felt the cold from the cracks of the old place and she shivered a little.

"I thought brujas can't feel the cold." She heard a voice say and Ashley raised her head a little but the darkness was too much for her to see something. All she could make was that the voice belonged to a woman and she had heard it before. "I guess it was just a rumor."

"Who is there?" Ashley whispered the question as she had lost her voice while screaming for help.

The woman stepped out of the dark and Ashley studied her features. It was Esther, the mother of the Originals. "Esther?"

"At least your eyesight is not blurry from the potion we gave to you." Esther pointed out as she walked closer to Ashley.

"What potion you talking about?" The girl asked the middle aged woman in front of her.

"The one we spiked your champagne with, dear." Ashley cussed under her breath as she remembered the drink, the waiter and the smile that Finn gave to her. "Our plans almost didn't go well considering that you were with one of the Salvatore brothers a minute before the potion would work."

"Why did you kidnap me?" Ashley asked a she could feel her wrist hurt because of how tightly the ropes were secured. "If you wanted leverage, you should have gotten Elena."

"I want the devil's power you have." Ashley snorted at what the witch just said. She was learning new things about brujeria every day but this one was just absurd to hear.

"Devil's power? You've met Satan?." Ashley retorted at the woman who was now standing in front of her. "Oh right, Satan is one of your sons."

Just then, Ashley felt a pang in her head and she started to let out grunts, the pain too much for her.

"Never say something offensive about my family." Esther warned her and Ashley's grunts turned into screams as the pain increased.

It suddenly stopped and Ashley took a deep shaky breath before looking at the witch. "Why do you need my supposed powers?"

"All in due's time." Esther told her nor giving Ashley the answer she wanted.

* * *

Damon moves to answer the door of the boarding house while he nursed a glass of bourbon in his hands. As he walked to the door, he hoped that the dark haired girl with a snarky tongue to appear behind the huge door as he had been calling her for hours now.

But it wasn't his day as behind the door was the doppelganger he currently was mad at.

"Yeppie, you're here." Damon said as he turned his heel but left the door opened for Elena to enter.

"You have been ignoring my phone calls." Elena told him as he heard the door closing behind him but he said nothing as response to the brunette's words. "Really? I hurt your feelings and this is how you act around me?" Damon rolled his eyes as he passes the threshold to enter the parlor.

"Do you ever think that not everything is about you?" Damon bit back at the teenage girl who stood silent for a couple of minutes. "Why did you come here for?" He asked before downing the rest of his drink.

"You should know that Esther is planning on killing her entire family. She's linked them all together with a spell. Whatever happens to one, happens to all of them." Many of Damon's problems would fly away if this plan of Esther worked out and he was beyond happy about it.

"Well, that's great! Klaus will finally be dead. We win." Damon pointed out as he poured himself another drink. He looked up to see that the brunette was displeased with the whole thing. "Why do you look like someone just shot a panda bear?"

"Uh, because to kill Klaus she has to kill all of them, including Elijah. And he doesn't deserve this!" Damon rolled his eyes nor caring about the Original vampire Ashley was fawning over a day ago.

"I'm supposed to care about Elijah?" Damon asked and Elena moves to leave the house without another word but Damon blocked her way. "Don't do anything to screw this up, Elena."

"Why are you doing this?" She asked with a clear frown on her forehead.

"He's right, you know. Klaus has to die. They all do." Stefan had stepped in the room to voice out his opinion and Damon gave Elena a satisfied look.

"See? It's democracy in action." Damon told her and Elena rolled her brown orbs at him. She was about to walk away but the buzzing of her phone stopped her.

She opened the phone and frowned at the message she had just received from Alaric.

"What is it?" Damon asked as he sipped his drink a little bit.

"It's Alaric." Elena responded to him as she read the text one more time. "He is asking if Ashley is with him cause she isn't in the apartment or at her shift in the Grill."

Damon almost spat out his drink at the information Elena just gave to him.

All he could think was how stupid he was when he left her alone after that kiss he had dreamed of it all night. He had been reckless, stupid and soon he was going to be angry at himself.

* * *

"So, you're mommy's boy?" Ashley asked the oldest of all the Mikaelson siblings as Esther had told him to keep an eye of her.

"Have you ever learned when it's your time to stop talking?" He snapped at her but Ashley wasn't affected by it.

"No." Ashley gave him a short answer before she continued speaking. "I thought you liked me for a minute when you gave me that drink."

"I think me liking you wouldn't peak your interest at all." Ashley frowned at the statement the oldest Original gave to her.

"Why would you say that? You are quite handsome." She spoke the truth but she didn't even receive a smile by Finn.

"You are quite taken by Damon Salvatore as I witnessed in the parking lot." He pointed out to her making Ashley grow quiet for a second as a memory of her passionate kiss with the Damon crossed her mind.

"You were following me?" Ashley asked with the tilt of her head noticing that her perfect bun had some loose strands.

"I was waiting for the potion to work." He responded still keeping his cool demeanor.

"We call it invading someone's privacy these days." Ashley retorted to him as she looked around the cold, dusty ans dark place.

"According to Niklaus, privacy has died this century." Finn pointed out and Ashley chuckled under her breath.

"He's right about that." She agreed with the thousand years old hybrid as she thought about all the media around here. "So, what does your mother need me for?"

"Mother said you should use your patience."

"How can I use it when I don't even have it?" Ashley wondered out loud and the man just gave her a simple shrug. "At least tell me I won't die because I'm only eighteen. I haven't lived my life yet."

"Do you think that I care about that?" Finn snapped at her making Ashley look down for a while before finally meeting his eyes.

"If you had any humanity left, you would care." Ashley said with a low voice but she knew the vampire had heard her because of his hearing ability. Yet he showed no indication that he had heard her as he didn't spare a glance to look at her.

She just hoped that somehow someone would notice she was missing.

* * *

 _"What do you mean you left her alone in the parking lot?"_ Alaric yelled at Damon through the phone as the vampire paced the place. _"First of all, what was my niece doing in a place full of Originals."_

"She came as my date to snoop some things but plans changed and-" Damon was cut off by Alaric who seemed to get angry by the minute.

 _"Please, don't tell me that you left her alone doing the whole ball."_ The silence alone gave Alaric the answer. _"Damn it, Damon!"_

"I will find her." Damon assured his best friend as he poured himself some blood in a glass.

 _"Let's just hope you find her alive."_ Alaric ended the call making Damon throw his phone on the sofa.

"What really happened between you and Ashley last night?" Damon heard his brother's voice and he turned to look at him.

"Why do you care brother?" He asked his brother as he finished his glass of blood before pouring one for his little brother.

"My curiosity wants to know." Stefan responded and Damon let out a scowl as he left the glass on the table next to him.

"Curiosity killed the cat, brother." Damon got his leather jacket and wore it. "I'm gonna go and look for Buffy while you make sure Elena doesn't screw up Esther's plan."

"You have more chance on finding Ashley." Stefan told his brother as Damon was about to walk out of the big house.

"I hope so." He mumbled before he disappeared from Stefan's sight. Stefan turned the other way and saw the glass filled with blood but he didn't drink it. He just walked away from the room.

Damon was now in Alaric's old apartment that now was being occupied by Ashley as he had used his super speed power. He picked on the lock and opened the door of the apartment.

He could feel that it was empty as the usual noise of the TV was missing and the smell of her cooking. He closed the door behind him and moved to look around the apartment.

He had nothing as he searched the kitchen, the living room and the bathroom but when he entered the bedroom, there was something off.

The bed had a few clothes on it, the ones she wore yesterday before going to work. He then looked for the dress that took away his breath last night but there was no sight of it which made him realize something.

She never came home.

Damon cussed under his breath as he walked out of the apartment and in search for Ashley around the town.

His next stop was the Grill where he found the manager and he seemed to be angry at Ashley for not coming to work today.

"Ashley didn't come to work today because she wasn't feeling good." Damon compelled the man who nodded his head at her. "You're not angry with her. Your're not even thinking of firing her." Damon was about to stop the compelling but then he remembered something else. "You need to give her better hours too."

His next stop was Caroline's house because he had seen them together talking for a split second.

He was about to ring the bell of the house but Caroline opened the door of the house and looked at him with a frown. He didn't notice Bonnie standing behind the blonde.

"I would love to chat but have you talked to Ashley? Or seen her?" Damon went straight to the question but he only got a shake of head from the blonde.

"Not since she left me even though I told her not to." Caroline responded giving him some kind of look that Damon didn't want to read or to be honest didn't have the time.

"When was that?" Damon asked already losing his patience with the blonde.

"Before they served the champagne." Damon sighed as he knew he had seen her after that in the parking lot. He was about to walk away but Caroline stopped him. "They served her a different kind of champagne."

"What kind?" It wasn't Damon who was asking the question, it was Bonnie.

"It was pink colored not red like the rest of us." Damon knew from that moment that there was something on Ashley's drink.

"What do you think it could be, Bon Bon?" Damon asked as he crossed his arms around his chest.

"Anything but my guess is a sleep potion." Bonnie answered his question and Damon wanted to shout out of frustration but he only curled up his lips into a snarl.

"Can you at least try to find what it was?" Damon asked trying to hide the desperation in his voice as he spoke to her.

"It would take me hours." Bonnie admitted and Damon was glad that it was better than nothing. "But Esther wants my help on killing her children."

Damon cussed again under his breath as he scratched the back of his head missing the looks the witch and the blonde vampire were giving to each other.

"What would anyone want with Ashley?" Caroline's question gave Damon an answer as he remembered what Ashley had told him.

Ashley was technically bruja and she had unexplored powers inside of her. Someone had definitely taken her.

* * *

Finn had gone somewhere after Esther had called him leaving Ashley alone with her own thoughts in the room she was hating by the minute.

Ashley could feel that her body had turned cold and she knew that she was going go be sick for a few days because of it. If she came out alive, that was.

She didn't want to die, not yet. Not without giving Alaric one last hug, not without seeing her grandparents bicker, not without spending a moment with her two best friends, not without slapping Damon for what he did to her and not without visiting her parents' graves one last time.

"Ashley?" The familiar voice that belonged to one Bonnie Bennett reached her ear making the dark haired girl look at her. "Oh My God."

"Bonnie?" Ashley asked with a tired voice and she felt some sort of relief course through her body at the sight of the young witch. "What are you doing here?"

"Esther wants to kill her children, she called me and my mother to channel our powers." She responded as she moved to get the ropes around Ashley. "You?"

"I'm a bruja." Bonnie frowned as she tried to release her wrists.

"I thought brujas were hard to find in the States." Bonnie pointed out as she saw that it was too hard for her.

"Well, you have one right here." Ashley joked with a voice that sounded like she had been smoking cigarettes. Just then, she felt all her ropes released our of her body.

"Look, you need to run before Esther and Finn come, okay?" Ashley nodded her head as she got up from the chair. She felt pain all around her body and she then noticed the bruises she had on her wrist because of the ropes. "Go!"

Ashley picked her ball dress up and began to run out of the old house. She entered some woods but that didn't stop her from running even though her body ached and she was too tired to even run.

She didn't look where she was going on as she ran and that ended up with her being slammed onto someone she only hoped wasn't Finn.

It wasn't Finn. It was Elijah who had a cool posture as he looked at her.

"Let me guess. My mother?" Ashley nodded and the vampire only let out an annoyed sigh.

* * *

She was now sitting in the parlor of the boarding house Elijah standing by her side. He had been kind enough to let her change her clothes and fix her hair before going to the Salvatore house.

At first, she had thought he would take her as a leverage but he had told her that he already had Elena who was with Rebekah as they were waiting.

Just then, the door opened and Ashley turned to see that Damon had entered the house.

"Elijah." Damon still hadn't noticed her and when he did he moved right towards her with his speed.

"Are you okay?" He asked her with some kind of a soft voice not caring if Elijah was there.

"You don't need to worry about me." She told him with a scoff and he frowned at her words.

"I have Elena." Elijah informed Damon making his head snap towards his direction.

"Of course you do." Damon mumbled before the door opened again but this time it was Stefan walking through the door.

"Elena is missing. I have tried to call her but she won't pick up and neither did yo.." Stefan trailed off as he saw his brother, the Original and Ashley in the room.

"Hello, Stefan." Elijah greeted him with his cool voice as Stefan passed the threshold to enter the room.

"He has Elena." Damon told his brother who seemed to show a hint of worry before hiding it.

"Actually, she's with Rebekah. As you can imagine, my sister is just dying to tear her throat out. So...if you want to save Elena's life, I need you to help me stop my mother." Elijah explained to the brothers what Ashley already knew. "Lucky for us, the half of the power is here."

Stefan frowned as Elijah's eyes moved to Ashley for a bit and he noticed that Damon didn't seem surprised by the news.

"I'm a little embarrassed to admit, but when it comes to killing thousand year old resurrected witches, I'm a little rusty." Damon told Elijah who turned to look at him.

"Yes, unfortunately, even when killed my mother doesn't seem to want to stay dead. Not with the spirits of nature at her side." Elijah spoke to the brothers before he turned once again. "But we have the powers of passion and desire."

"I don't know how to use my powers." Ashley spoke the truth, her voice still coming a little bit hoarse.

"So, what are we supposed to do now?" Stefan asked the Original vampire who moved his orbs away from Ashley.

"The witches that released my mother, she's drawing her power from their bloodline, that line needs to be broken." Ashley frowned at the new detail that it was added by Elijah now.

"Broken?" Stefan asked, confusion written on his face.

"He wants to kill either Bonnie or her mom which I vote none of the above cause Bonnie was the one to release me." Damon turned to look at Ashley after what she said but she avoided eye contact with him.

"I would do it myself. But, seeing me, they'd immediately know my intent. They won't expect to be harm by the likes of you. In any case, you have until six minutes after nine to find them." Elijah told them in a stern voice and Damon scoffed at him before speaking.

"Oh, how super specific of you." Damon spoke with his usual sarcasm in hos tone.

"By 9:07, the moon will be full, my mother will have the power she needs to kill me and my family. If you do not stop her before then, Rebekah will kill Elena. So we all have our timeline? I suggest you get started." Elijah told them before turning to look at Ashley. "I'm sorry for what my mother did to you." And with that, he left the boarding house.

Ashley didn't want to be in the room with neither of the Salvatore brothers especially Damon, so she got up from the fancy couch but Damon stopped her.

"Where do you think you're going?" Damon asked her making her turn to him giving the vampire a dark look.

"To find my uncle. Any idea where he is?" She asked him with a tilt of her head.

"In the Grill. He wanted to come with me to find you but the sexy doctor told him it will just worsen his state." She only nodded her head and moved around the vampire. She didn't spare them another single look as she walked out of the boarding house.

* * *

She entered the place in search of her uncle which she didn't spot at first but she did spot Klaus and Kol in the end of the bar drinking.

"Ashley." She heard Alaric's voice and she turned only to be wrapped into a tight embrace by her uncle. "Thank God, you're okay."

Ashley smiled as she wrapped her arms around her uncle before pulling away. "I'll tell you later what happened."

He nodded his head at her and she then spotted Meredith behind her uncle. "Hi, Meredith." She waves at the woman who turned to smile at the dark haired girl. "Well, I don't wanna third wheel so I would make myself scarce."

"No, you won't be third wheeling and I want you here." Alaric stopped Ashley from leaving as he pointed to the table next to the pool table.

"Fine but my manager would be mad at me." She told him as she sat on the chair.

"Don't worry about that. Damon already _talked_ to him." Alaric basically had told her that Damon had compelled her boss and she didn't mind one bit.

She sat there, not talking much. Alaric was talking with Meredith about the murders that were happening in town that didn't include vampires or any supernatural creatures.

Ashley zoned out as she thought about her kiss with Damon. The best kiss she had ever experienced but of course Damon had to ruin the whole thing by speeding awya and then she got kidnapped by Esther and Finn.

Her thoughts were interrupted as she saw Caroline enter the Grill before she exchanged looks with Alaric.

"What was that for?" Ashley whispered to her uncle who turned to look at her.

"The plan is going." His answer made her more confused and he let out a sigh. "Just follow me."

"Alright." She muttered as her throat hurt a little bit but she ignored it.

She watched with the corner of her eye as Caroline walked to Kol and Klaus who were still drinking.

"Hey Ashley." Meredith called her name making her look away from the three vampires at the bar. "How about a game of pool?"

"Yeah, why not." Ashley got up from her seat and started to play the game while Alaric stood in his place.

They were in the middle of the game when a voice interrupted them. A voice Ashley had heard at the ball before Damon snapped his neck.

"Isn't the girl behind the reason why I got my neck snapped?" Kol's voice was heard behind Ashley but the dark haired girl didn't turn to look at him at first. She hit the white ball with her stick and put two other ones into the hole.

"Maybe the real reason was because you didn't let me go when I told you to." Ashley responded as she straightened to look at the handsome vampire.

"Let's forget and start fresh as kids these days call it." Kol suggested but her response was only a pursue of her lips. "I'm Kol."

"Okay, Kol." Ashley said with a fake smile as she put the stick she was holding down. "Get lost."

"Why would I do that? I quite enjoy your company." He mumbled with the grin that never seemed to disappear from his face.

"She clearly doesn't enjoy yours." She heard her uncle's voice from behind Kol. "And she clearly told you to get lost."

"I'm sure that I don't care." As soon as Kol turned to face Alaric, he was stabbed with a dagger right through the heart making Ashley gasp in shock but she had to hid it as she was surrounded by other people.

"Come on, we need to take him to the alleyway." Ashley helped Alaric with Kol as Meredith stood in her place in the Grill. They walked outside only to be met with the Salvatore brothers.

"Here, grab him!" Alaric said to the brothers and the vampires moved closer to him.

"Good job, Buffy." Damon told her but the girl didn't even spare a glance at him.

Just then, she felt a push and saw Klaus undagger his little brother. Stefan moved to grab Klaus but the man knocked him too like he had done with her uncle.

"I should have killed you months ago." Klaus pointed out, anger evident in his voice.

"Do it. It's not going to stop Esther from killing you." Damon bit back at him as he stepped closer to the Original hybrid.

"What did you say about my mother?" Klaus asked as he was shocked with the news Damon just gave to him.

"You didn't know I was friends with your mummy?" Damon's words made Ashley cringe but she didn't say anything about it. "Yeah, we have a lot in common. She hates you as much as I do."

Ashley was sure Klaus was about to attack Damon but a voice stopped him.

"Leave him! We still need them, Niklaus." Ashley turned to see Elijah standing on the stairs, his body a little grey considering that he was still covering from being daggered.

"What did mother do? What did she do, Elijah?" Klaus asked angry with his mother's plan to kill him and his siblings.

Elijah descended the stairs so he could face all of them. Ashley then noticed that he was holding a phone. "I'll have my sister kill Elena right now if you don't stop the witches."

Ashley looked at the clock tower and saw that they had another half hour as Elijah had said before.

"You told me we had until after nine." Damon pointed out frustrated with the Original vampire who seemed to not care.

"I'm sure Rebekah will be more than happy to start her work early." Elijah said to all of them and Ashley knew that they had no other way but to listen to Elijah.

* * *

Ashley ended the call with Alaric as he explained to her what had happened as she had decided to not participate on the whole thing but actually lay on her bed and rest.

The phone call ended with her asking about someone's number and Ashley hesitated before calling the number.

 _"It's Bonnie. Leave a message."_

"Hi, Bonnie. I don't wanna disturb you so this won't take long. I'm sorry for what happened to your mom and I hope that she will adapt in the vampire world. I'm really sorry that you always end up getting hurt but things would get better. Either way, thanks for helping me out. I'm really grateful. Bye." The beep was heard and Ashley put her phone in her nightstand before getting up to get herself some water.

As soon as she opened the door of her bedroom, she was met with the lightest shade of blue eyes that she had ever seen in her life that belonged to someone she was pissed at the moment.

"Go away. I don't want to talk." She told him as she moved to the kitchen to get something to drink.

"I'm sorry for what I did last night. I was mad at everyone and I felt guilty of kissing you." Ashley had enough and she turned to look at him.

"Culpable?" Ashley asked and Damon frowned at what she said to him. "Te sientes culpable? Eso soluciona todo. Me dejaste solo después de que me besaste. Hay una voz en mi mente que dice que lo hiciste solo porque te lastimó Elena." Damon understood one thing that she said and that was Elena's name. _(Guilty. Do you feel guilty? Does that resolve anything? You left me alone after you kissed me. There's a voice in my head that says you did it just because Elena hurt you.)_

"What about Elena?" Damon asked her making Ashley roll her eyes at him getting more angry.

"Elena, Elena, Elena. El mundo gira en torno a Elena?" Damon took a step towards her to stop her from speaking Spanish as he didn't understand a word she said. _(Does the world revolve around Elena?)_

"Stop, Ashley." She surprisingly didn't utter another single world at him. "I said Elena because that was the only think I understood from your little Spanish rant." She pursued her lips and narrowed her eyes at him but she kept her mouth shut. "Now how about you translate me what you said."

"Why do you feel guilty?" She asked with a less hoarser voice as she had taken her some syrup and had drank tea.

"Because I kissed my best friend's niece when I clearly shouldn't. Because I enjoyed every moment of that kiss." Ashley didn't dare to look at the man standing in front of her but somehow used every single fiber of her body that told her to not kiss him.

"Did you do it because you wanted to piss Elena off?" Ashley asked with a hushed voice and she could feel her heartbeat grow faster at the wait for a response.

"I would never do that. I kissed you because you were there for me, because told you me that caring didn't make me a liability and because I wanted to tell you that I'm the sixth person to care about you."

Ashley stood there silent as Damon studied her facial expression which showed nothing but the fact that she was tired.

She finally looked up at him with her dark orbs which always had a playful glint to it but now were replaced with a need for sleep.

"Can we talk about this more when I'm not tired?" Ashley asked and Damon nodded his head at her understanding the human in front of him.

"Of course, Buffy." Damon stopped for a minute and leaned closer. Ashley thought for a split second that he would kiss her but he passed her lips and gave her a kiss on her cheek. A lingering one that made Ashley blush a little. "Good night." He whispered into her ear before he walked out of the door of the apartment.

* * *

 _ **Here is the update and I hope you all enjoy it. There will be another one next week or more specifically weekend because I only have time to write on the weekends.**_ _ **I need to apologize first to all my Spanish readers if they notice a mistake in the dialogue because I speak a little of Spanish and I picked that from telenovelas and Jane the Virgin so I'm sorry again.**_ _ **I just saw that this story has 101 followers and I'm just so happy that you guys are enjoying the story I've been writing and will keep on doing.**_

 _ **Next chapter, there will be a lot of Damon, Ashley and Stefan moments.**_ _ **Plus, there are gonna be some Rebekah and Ashley moments too in the beginning of the next chapter.**_

 _ **NicoleR85:**_ I'm glad that you enjoyed this chapter too and here is the update.

 _ **galwidanatitud:**_ Thanks to Bon Bon, that's for sure and to her running.

 _ **DarkShipsSailHere:**_ It was a dick move of Damon to walk away from her and you read yourself it wasn't him rebounding Elena. Well, she didn't get the help of Damon to get out of that mess XD.

 ** _SomeoneWhoCares:_** Bless Sam and his majestic hair. Sorry that there were not muchh Spanish though

 _ **Adela:**_ I'm glad that you loved the chapter.

 _ **K. Daniels:**_ Here is the update!


	17. 1912

_**DISCLAIMER:**_ _**I DO NOT OWN THE VAMPIRE DIARIES BUT I DO OWN MY CHARACTERS AND THEIR STORYLINES.**_

* * *

It was supposed to be a regular day for Ashley Saltzman. She was going to wake up in the morning, brush her teeth, wash her hair and head to work where she had an eight hour shift. She was probably serve drinks to both her and uncle and his friend who she had shared a kiss with two nights ago and then she was going to be roped into another Original family dilemma. It wasn't ideal and she didn't like it at all but it was way better than what was going on with her right now.

She was in the police station with Damon because last night her uncle had been arrested in the Gilbert house by Sheriff Forbes as he was a primary suspect concerning the murders that were happening in the small town.

One word that could explain Ashley at that moment was furious.

"I didn't do it." Alaric protested as he spared a look at his niece who was pacing the whole place as he was inside of a cell.

"You're arresting him for what this nut job Dr. Fell says?" Damon asked as he angry too about the whole situation while Sheriff Forbes was remaining calm about the whole thing.

"No, I'm detaining him. The cell is for his own good. You were shot; Dr. Fell used vampire blood to heal you." Sheriff Forbes pointed out and Ashley stopped to talk to the sheriff.

"Who the fuck-" Ashley was interrupted by her own uncle.

"Language." He warned her and she took a deep breath before speaking again.

"Whom the fuck does she think she is?" She heard Alaric sigh and Damon let out a chuckle but she didn't stop talking. "She was the one to shoot him."

"Because he came at her with a knife!" Sheriff Forbes pointed out to her and she let out an annoying huff.

"Yeah, with a knife I had found hidden in her things!" Alaric was just as furious and confused as his niece was who put her her wands around her waist.

"Are we gonna ignore that he was a victim of this whole thing? He was stabbed multiple times and almost died." Ashley pointed out as she heard Damon hum in agreement next to her.

"Well, Dr. Fell suggested his wounds could have been self-inflicting." Ashley scoffed at the words of the blonde woman.

"If Dr. Fell doesn't shut up, I'm gonna be the murderer in this town." She whispered to the vampire who gave her a smirk in return.

"You think I stabbed myself?" Alaric asked as he spared a glance at his niece and best friend who were too close to each other for his likening.

The blonde woman seemed confused with the whole thing. "Look, I think I don't know what to think. I've got nothing, except murder weapons from your stash and a respected member of a founding family pointing a very long finger."

"She is setting me up. I'm being framed here!" Alaric told the sheriff of the town but it seemed like the sheriff couldn't do anything.

"Well, that may be so, but I don't have any proof of that." She informed him which only peeked the attention of Damon and Ashley.

"Then we'll find some." Damon told his best friend reassuring but the sheriff stopped him.

"No, just stay out of this, Damon. You getting involved is only going to make matters worse." Ashley didn't say anything as she reminded herself that the sheriff didn't say anything to her about not finding proof. "You too, Ashley."

"But..." The dark haired girl started to say but the woman next to her stopped her.

"Don't make me put you two in that cell with him!" Ashley turned to look at her uncle who was leaning against the bars of the cell while giving her a reassuring smile that said that he would be fine but somehow Ashley doubted that.

"Can I talk to Alaric alone?" She asked the two others and they nodded their heads before walking away from the place. Ashley heard the steps of them fade away and then she turned to her uncle.

"Ashley, I didn't do it." His voice was weak and tired which made Ashley look at him with sympathy in her gaze.

"I know you didn't but how is she sure that you killed people? How can she possibly know?" She wondered out loud and Alaric caught her arm making her look at his blue eyes.

"Don't try to find proof and don't go near her. There is a big possibility that she is doing this." He told her and she nodded her head at him but he somehow knew she wasn't going to listen to him. "Ashley."

"Scout's honor, alright?" She teased him about the days that he was a scout in his youth making him glare at her.

"I'm glad that your humor hasn't gone away even in this time."

"Oh Ric, my humor would never leave me." He smiled at her but he only gave her a strained one as he had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.

* * *

"Buffy, you coming with me." She heard the voice of Damon as she left the cells where Alaric was and she turned to look at him with a kinked eyebrow. "We're gonna play detective with my baby bro."

"I promised Alaric that I wouldn't find proof or go close to Meredith." Ashley informed and Damon let out a chuckle before speaking to her.

"We're not gonna stalk Dr. Crazy but I'm gonna take a trip down to memory lane with Stef and you're gonna help us solve the riddle." Damon explained to her as a deputy passed them making Ashley look the way for a brief second.

"What time of your long boring vampire life are we gonna take a trip too?" Ashley asked as they started to walk out of the police station.

"1912." Damon responded to her making the dark haired girl raise an eyebrow at him.

"The year Titanic sank?" She asked as they started to descend the stairs out of the building.

"Really, that's the only one you could think of?" He asked her as they walked to his blue Camaro which was parked in the parking lot.

"That's the only one with tragedy in it and the only one who became a movie with Leo." Damon scoffed as they entered the car together before closing it.

"You're in first name basis now?" He joked but his voice didn't have any tone of playfulness. Ashley didn't say anything only looked at the town. "What no witty comebacks, Buffy."

"Why do you need Stefan?" Ashley asked him out of the blue and Damon knew she was ignoring what he said before.

"Because he was there in 1912 with me in Mystic Falls after not being here for 48 years after turning into vampires." Damon responded to her question which only made her wonder more.

"Why were you in Mystic Falls that time?"

"Because Zachariah Salvatore died who was kinda my nephew." That information made Ashley take her eyes away from the town and look at the blue eyed vampire who was driving.

"You had another sibling?" She asked shocked at the information Damon just gave her.

"A brother because we, Salvatores don't breed girls according to my father. My father knocked up a maid and she gave him a son." He explained to her and Ashley didn't say anything as she tried to think Damon and Stefan having a sister but her imagination didn't go that far.

"How did he die?" Ashley asked as she took her eyes off Damon and looked at the road straight ahead.

"He was murdered by the last serial killer Mystic Falls had before this one right now."

"So, why do you need me about this whole thing?" Ashley asked not getting why did she have to hang with Damon and Stefan even though she had work to do.

"Because I enjoy your company and I compelled your boss to give you a free day." Ashley wasn't surprised with what Damon did as it had become a habit of his to compel her boss to let her out of work many times.

"You know, I don't like your brother that much." She informed him and he shrugged his shoulders as she didn't just say that she didn't like his brother.

"You're not the only one. Don't worry," Ashley noted the tone that he was using now. A tone that made her shiver, "we can get rid of little brother and we can continue our kiss from two nights ago."

"You need to behave better if you want another kiss." Ashley told him as they had arrived in the Salvatore boarding house and Damon had turned off the engine.

"Wow, didn't know you wanted another kiss from me? After all, I'm an excellent kisser." _Yes, you are,_ Ashley thought but she didn't give him an answer as she got out of the car and headed to the front door.

Damon didn't say anything else but Ashley could feel it that he was smirking as they were entering his house. "Come on." He motioned to her to follow him and they climbed a lot of stairs to enter Stefan's room.

Ashley could feel the tapping of a pen against a table as they neared Stefan's bedroom. "Blood craving." Damon whispered to her as they saw Stefan's door was opened and he was sitting in chair.

The vampire was so focused with his pen that he didn't notice them entering the room. Damon sighed and leaned against the doorway before speaking. "Dear diary,"Stefan stopped the tapping and turned to look at Damon and then Ashley. "a chipmunk asked me my name today. I told him it was Joe. That lie will haunt me forever."

Stefan got up from his chair and put the diary of his away for the other two not to see it. "What do you and your girlfriend want?" Ashley rolled her eyes at what Stefan said as she leaned against the bookcase nearest to her.

"I was hoping we could hang. You know a little brother bonding. I know we don't actually "hang out". We team up, we join forces, we activate our wonder twin powers." Damon responded as he pointed at his ring which had the Salvatore crest on it but Stefan only looked at Ashley as why was she here. "She is just desperate to sleep with me."

"I wasn't the one begging the other to come here." Ashley snapped at him but her eyes were scanning Stefan's room while Damon moved to the bookshelves where Stefan kept his diaries.

"What are you doing?" Stefan asked as he watched his brother go through his stuff.

"Digging up clues. Most of the Originals are gone,"

"Shame, I was liking Elijah." Ashley muttered and Damon turned to give her a glare that showed his jealousy.

"but now we have a whodunnit in town. Hey, do you remember when we came back for Zachariah's funeral?" Damon continued as he was still looking for the diary of the year 1912.

"Vaguely. Why?" Stefan responded as he looked at his older brother.

"If memory serves, he wasn't the first Founders' Council member killed that year or even that month." Damon reminded Stefan and Ashley frowned her eyebrows a little.

"For a small town, Mystic Falls is fucked up place." Ashley mumbled under her breath but she knew that both the brothers had heard her quite well.

"1912. Or as I like to call it: last time Mystic Fall's had a serial killer on its hands." Damon said as he had finally found the diary that he was looking for. "What do you say, brother? You wanna go get drunk?"

"Ahhh, I get it, I get it. You're bored! Your best friend's in jail and you don't have anything better to do with yourself." Stefan pointed out as Damon walked closer to the dark haired girl.

"Oh, I have Ashley here to keep me from getting bored but we need your help to solve a murder." Damon walked out of the room with Stefan's journal and was followed by Ashley.

* * *

Ashley wasn't happy with the fact that they were going in the Grill but Damon reminded them that their choice were in a limit and if he had to compel everyone of her coworkers, he would compel them.

Ashley walked in the Grill followed by the Salvatore brothers and she spotted Rebekah talking to Mayor Lockwood. Ashley waved at her and Rebekah returned i with a smile. "Since when are you and She-Devil BFF?"

"Shut up." Ashley told him as they took their seats in the bar stools. Ashley was sitting on Damon's left while Stefan on his right. While the brothers ordered bourbon, Ashley got for herself only some Coke as it was too early for her to get drunk.

'So what does a medical examiner, Bill Forbes, and Alaric Saltzman have in common?" Damon asked the two people next to him as they were drinking and talking about the serial killer on the loose. Stefan started to tap his ring on the counter. "Come on, knock it off." Stefan poured himself a drink as he turned to Damon. "You know, quitting blood cold turkey after a ripper binge might not be the best approach. Every time you play that all-or-nothing game, you eventually leave a trail of bodies. So, I'm thinking, now is a good time to pay our old friend moderation a visit."

"Can you guys not talk about blood cravings around me?" Ashley asked them before taking a sip of her drink. "In front of a human."

"You're not human technically, you're a bruja." Stefan reminded her making her glare at him with her brown eyes.

"By the way, welcome to the supernatural club" Damon told her with a smirk and she turned to look at him. "Don't worry, the membership is free."

"Oh my God, that means Sam and Dean will hunt me if they could." Ashley muttered in realization while Damon rolled his eyes, Stefan frowned at her.

"Who?" He asked as he placed his glass on the bar.

"Some hunters in a TV show." Damon informed his brother as Ashley tried to not think of her fictional crush and his little brother trying to kill her.

"Brian Walters, Bill Forbes and Alaric were all members of the Founder's council. That's what they all have in common." Stefan's words earned the attention of Ashley and his brother.

"But why them? Huh? Brian Walters and Alaric weren't from founding families. I mean, hey, if you're gonna slaughter council members, go A-list. At least in 1912 they killed a Salvatore." Damon said before he took a sip of his drink and then placed it on the bar.

"Which Salvatore would that be?" A voice was heard beside Ashley making the bruja and the two vampire turn towards the voice only to see Rebekah looking at them.

"Why do you care?" Damon snapped at the blonde who took a seat next to the dark haired girl.

"Cause I'm bored and have nothing better to do." Rebekah responded to him and it was clear that none of the other three wanted her there. "So, who was that Salvatore?"

"Our nephew, Zachariah." Stefan responded to Rebekah hoping that she would get bored and walk away.

"How did the Salvatore line go along when you two turned into a vampire?" Rebekah asked as she called the bartender to get some drinks.

"Well, our father knocked up one of the maids during the Civil War, she had a son. But as far as everyone else knew, Stefan and I were dead. Family name had to go somewhere." The way Damon spoke about his family made Ashley realize that Damon didn't have a good childhood and neither did his brother.

"And, uh, your family owned the logging mills back then?" Rebekah asked and Ashley had grown suspicious why was she asking so much questions.

"You seem full of questions, Bekah." Ashley said with a fake smile as she looked at the blonde Original.

"I'm just researching the town history. I grew up here after all." Rebekah pointed out to her but Ashley and the vampire brothers weren't buying it at all.

"You know you don't have to disguise your true motives Blondie-Bex, if you want more sex with little bro here, just ask for it." Damon teased the blonde and Stefan winced at Damon's words. Stefan started to tap his ring against the counter.

"Excuse me my brother, he is jonesing for some O positive." Damon then turned to loo at Ashley who was pouring her Coke in her glass. "What blood type are you?"

"A negative." Ashley responded and Damon let out a huff.

"Mhm, that's not my favorite." Ashley hit him in the arm earning a sarcastic 'Ouch'.

"So, did they ever catch the killer?" Rebekah asked trying to pull the attention towards the serial killer in 1912.

"Nope. Wrote it all off on vampires." Damon replied to her question and Ashley pursued her lips a little.

"Maybe it was a vampire." Ashley guessed as she changed her gaze from Damon to Stefan.

"Yeah, yeah, maybe it was a vampire, Damon." The way Stefan spoke made Ashley think there was another vampire beside Damon and Stefan in 1912.

She rested her arm on the counter before resting her head on the hand of that arm. "Don't think for a second you didn't cross my mind too, brother. But these murders weren't your style, were they? Plus there were no other vampires circulating then." Stefan didn't seem to agree with Damon.

"Well, there was one other vampire. Remember Sage?" Stefan reminded his brother and realization hit the older vampire as he remembered the woman Stefan was talking about.

"Ohh, right, Sage. That was some great sex. Ooh!" Ashley rolled her eyes and she felt the little green monster creep inside of her but she refused to show what she really felt in front of the others especially Damon. She wasn't gonna give him the satisfaction.

Damon and Stefan told the story of how one night in a tent they had met a woman who was beating men in boxing and how everyone was gambling in her favor because she was better. Damon had explained her as a fiery redhead woman who was good in bed while someone else had another opinion of her.

"I knew a Sage once. Trashy little thing." Rebekah glanced at Ashley when she said that in a way to make her friend better but Ashley was still feeling jealous about a woman Damon hadn't interacted in almost a century.

"You really think it was Sage who was killing all those Founders back then?" Damon ignored Rebekah's words and turned to speak to his little brother.

"Town questioned every grown man in Mystic Falls. Probably never occurred to them that a woman could have done it." Stefan pointed out and Ashley scoffed at the words of the younger Salvatore brother.

"Sexism even in murder." She scoffed before she took a sip of her non alcoholic drink.

"So, uh, tell me more about your old relatives. I heard they tore down half the woods to build this town." Rebekah grabbed the bottle of bourbon as she looked at the dark haired girl and the two brothers. The bartender came with another bottle and Rebekah went to grab it but Damon beat her to it.

"Easy there, lushy pants." Damon said as he got his jacket and motioned to Ashley to get up from the stool she was occupying. "It's been a hoot and a half but it's Salvatore brother and Ashley's night and you weren't invited." Ashley shot the blonde an apologizing look as she followed Damon with her drink and the Stefan followed them with two glasses.

* * *

"Why aren't you drinking, Little Saltzman?" Stefan asked as Damon was too preoccupied playing darts at the moment while Ashley was sitting in a table with the younger one.

"Cause I'm underage." Ashley responded as she looked away from him, deciding that scanning the Grill was better than a chat with Stefan.

"Above It All Treatment Center." Ashley's head snapped into the direction of Stefan who was smiling to her. "I was surprised to learn that you were a junkie. Not any kind of junkie. Cocaine kind of junkie."

"Don't you have anything better than snoop into my business?" Ashley shot at him as she tried to push the past in the back of her head as it wasn't time to think of her drug addiction.

"A mix of alcohol and cocaine. You were lucky not to end up dead but into a rehab. Seems like we have more in common than I thought." Ashley wanted to break the glass he was holding in Stefan's head abut a voice stopped her.

"Don't be a dick, brother." Damon warned his little brother and when Ashley looked up to Damon, he was sending Stefan one of the coldest glared Ashley had ever seen in her eighteen years. Damon moved to play darts and he hit a bullseye. "So, let's just say Sage was killing everyone in 1912. Who the hell is doing it now? It's not that psycho, Dr. Fell. She's a woman. There's no way she could stab three grown men." Ashley scoffed at his words and crossed her arms over her chest.

Damon threw the dart but it was caught by the blonde Original who didn't get the memo that none of them wanted to her close to them. "That's a bit sexist."

"Amen." Ashley said as Rebekah picked the darts that Damon threw and handed it to him.

"A woman could easily kill a man, with the right motivation." She gave Damon a look that Ashley didn't like but the bruja didn't voice it.

"You just, uh, don't give up, do you?" Stefan asked Rebekah as he was holding his glass of bourbon.

"Why are you so grumpy?" Rebekah turned to look at the brother next to a really bored Ashley.

"He's on a master cleanse. Trying to be a better man and all." Damon said as his eyes landed on Ashley for a split second. Somehow he was trying to prove that he was a better man to her too but it was hard. He was used being bad for so long but now he had to change if he wanted to have a chance with the dark haired girl.

"You know, you were a lot more fun in the '20s." Rebekah's words pulled Damon out of his thoughts and he bumped the blonde with his elbow.

"Don't rile him up." Damon warned the blonde as he moved to take the bottle of whiskey which was on the table. "He's testy when he's being self-righteous."

"I'm not being self-righteous, Damon. I'm just not interested in slaughtering innocent human beings anymore." Stefan informed all the three people close to him making Ashley raise an eyebrow.

"Are you doing that because of your moral code or to win the heart of sweet Elena back?" She asked Stefan who turned to glare at her as Ashley leaned int her chair with a smile.

"Oh, okay, fair enough. My mistake." Damon took out Stefan's diary from his jacket. "You used to be self-righteous." He opened the diary and started to read it out loud in front of them. "Dear diary, Damon has lost his way, though I have pulled my own life together he continues to waste his."

Rebekah grabbed the diary from Damon and started to read out loud too. "His bitterness consumes him. He is nothing but blackness and vile." Rebekah closed the diary and turned to look at Stefan. "Oh, judgy."

"Well, this is fun." Ashley muttered, sarcasm laced in her voice. She was beyond bored and wanted to be in the police station with her uncle.

"You know, if I'm being honest, you didn't seem like much fun either, Damon." Rebekah added as she turned to look at the older brother who shrugged his shoulders.

"I wasn't. The woman I was in love with was stuck in a tomb and she wasn't getting out for a hundred years. I wasn't having any fun at all." Damon's words made Ashley think about Katherine. The vampire who had done all this shit in Mystic Falls who sounded like a myth to her, a person who didn't have the pleasure to meet Katherine Pierce.

 _Was Damon over Katherine?_

Ashley couldn't help but think that as she knew that Elena was just the carbon copy of Katherine. Maybe Damon was still obsessed with Katherine and this obsession was reflected into Elena. The bruja decided to pull that though out of her mind as she looked up to meet Damon's blue eyes. She knew that he was wondering what she was thinking about.

 _You._ Ashley wanted to say but she only averted her eyes and looked at the bottle of whiskey on the table.

* * *

Ashley scoffed at Damon's story making all the vampires' head snap towards her. "The fact that she thought women aren't just food but also pleasure too makes me think she wasn't a feminist at all."

"That sounds like Sage all right." Rebekah pointed out and Ashley then remembered how she didn't ask Rebekah how she knew the vampire in the story.

"How did you know her?" Ashley asked the blonde Original from her seat next to Stefan. Ashley thought that Stefan was going to be the most annoying one but he ended up being quite the opposite even though he mentioned the rehab she had gone to.

"She was obsessed with my brother Finn, over 900 years ago." Rebekah responded surprising the bruja a little with the information she just gave to them.

"Finn? Mommy's boy?" Ashley repeated earning a chuckle from both the Salvatore brothers and a smile from Rebekah before giving a nod to Ashley. Just then, Stefan started to tap his ring against the table.

"You're doing it again." Damon told his brother who stopped taping his ring against the table and turned to look at Damon.

"Alright, you know what, I need to, uh, I gotta get out of here." Ashley wanted to listen in the conversation more but her phone started to ring and she saw that it was Alaric who was calling her.

She immediately picked up her phone. "Ric?"

 _"It's Sheriff Forbes. The charges against Alaric are dropped, you can come and pick him up now."_ Ashley sighed in relief as she got up from her chair.

"Wait, how?" Ashley asked as she moved to get her jacket and she held her phone with her shoulder as she wore her jacket.

 _"He has an alibi in Brian Walters's murder."_ Ashley wanted to jump and shout in happiness but only a smile reached her lips.

"Tell him I'm that I'll be there in five minutes." The dark haired girl turned to look at the vampires who were too busy on their own conversation.

 _"Alright."_ The sheriff ended the call and Ashley put her phone back in her pocket.

"The sheriff called." Her words got Damon's attention followed by Rebekah's and Stefan's. "Alaric was dropped from his charges as she had an alibi in the night of the murder of Brian Walters. I'm going to pick him up."

"Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?" Damon asked as he walked closer to her and Ashley shook her head dismissively at him.

"No, I'll be fine." She gave him a small smile before she turned to walk away from them.

"Wow Damon, I didn't know you had it so bad about her." Rebekah mused to the older vampire who turned to glare at the Original vampire.

* * *

Ashley drove Alaric to the Gilbert house and she decided that she was going to spend the night in the Gilbert residence in Jeremy's room so Alaric could feel better and she could sleep peacefully knowing her uncle was alright.

She opened the door of the house to see that Matt and Elena were there already talking. They both rose up immediately when they saw Ashley and Alaric enter the house. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm alright." He told the brunette who pulled Alaric into a hug. When Elena pulled away, Ashley turned to look at her.

"Thanks for finding that coroner's report." She said to the brunette before looking at Matt too. "Both of you." They nodded their heads at her and Ashley helped Alaric to the couch so he could sit on the couch.

"I'm going to leave now cause it's getting late." Matt said as he moved to get his jacket from the hanger.

"Bye, Matt." Ashley said as she waved at the blue eyed teenager before turning to look at her uncle as Elena decided to walk Matt out of the door.

"What did you do today?" Alaric asked her as he made himself comfortable in the couch and Ashley took a seat next to him.

"I spent the day with Damon and Stefan then Rebekah joined us." Alaric raised an eyebrow at her words making the dark haired girl frown a little.

"You seem to be spending a lot of time with Damon." Alaric pointed out and Ashley tried her best not to show that she had a big crush on the vampire who was her uncle's best friend.

"He isn't that annoying when you get to know him." Ashley joked but Alaric hummed a little before speaking again.

"What did you three do?"

"There was another serial killer in Mystic Falls in 1912, the brothers were just taking a trip down to memory lane." Ashley explained to her uncle not noticing Elena was behind them.

"Did you say 1912?" Elena asked and Ashley turned to face the brunette before nodding at her. Elena disappeared into the kitchen before she came into the room holding an old diary. "Matt and I found this diary of one of my ancestors, Samantha Gilbert."

"Stefan mentioned her in his story." Ashley pointed out to her as she moved to look at the diary. "I think we're in fro some research. Ric, I guess you're out."

"Sounds about right." He muttered as he turned on the TV and started to change the channels one by one.

"Come in my room, it has better lighting." Elena and Ashley were about to walk away but Alaric's voice stopped them.

"You know you shouldn't get into trouble because of me, Elena." Alaric said to the brunette making both the girls turn to look at him.

"You're my guardian, Ric. I'll do anything to save you." Ashley smiled at the sentiment in front of her eyes but she didn't say anything as she looked down.

"While you Ashley, thank you for actually listening to me for the first time ever." Ashley rolled her eyes but she had a hint of smile on her face as she looked at her uncle.

"It's about damn time I did." She commented before her and Elena moved to the staircase.

"It seems like all my ancestors are crazy." Elena said as they walked towards Elena's room in the second floor.

"At least, you know that there is a big percent you'll end up crazy." Ashley joked and Elena scowled playfully before opening the door of her room. It was the first time Ashley had entered Elena's room and the room seemed so much Elena that it hurt to be there.

"Nice room." The dark haired girl commented as she sat down on the bed next to Elena who opened the diary. Elena frowned immediately at the first words she was reading. "What?"

"She admits that she is going crazy. That she is having blackout moments." Elena explained as she read through the words of the diary i her hand.

"Why is Mystic Falls straight out of an Edgar Allan Poe's book?" Ashley mumbled under her breath but Elena caught her attention by bringing the diary closer to Ashley.

What the two girls read in half an hour brought Ashley to tears while Elena in complete shock as they realized who was behind the murders of Brian Walters and Bill Forbes and who was behind the attack against Alaric.

"We need to tell Ric." Elena told a shaking and in tears Ashley who was done reading the diary. Elena motioned for Ashley to get up from her place on the bed and the dark haired girl did as they got out of the room.

"No, but I think you might be. You wear a ring that lets you cheat death, Ric. How many times can you die before it changes you?" They heard Meredith's voice down the stairs and Ashley realized why the woman had blamed the deaths on her uncle. "I think you're sick and I want to help you. This has happened before, almost 100 years ago."

The two girls were standing by the doorway now and both of the adults turned to see them. Alaric was shocked to see that his niece was in tears as she looked at him. "Ashley, are you okay?"

"Ric, I think she's right." Ashley admitted as she talked between sniffles making her uncle frown but his eyes landed on the diary Elena was holding.

Samantha Gilbert was behind the murders in 1912. She was the one who killed all of the Founder's Council members one by one. She was just as crazy as her grandfather Jonathan Gilbert who lived in Civil War. The reason they had gone crazy was because of a ring. The same ring that Alaric had in his finger. The same ring that brought him back from the dead dozens of times.

It seemed like Meredith was right. Alaric was behind every murder that had happened in Mystic Falls.

* * *

 _ **From this chapter on, it's gonna be a roller coaster for our Ashley as she has to deal with Alaric and his serial killer alter ego, wit the fact that she is a bruja and her growing feeling for Damon. Boy, it's gonna be so much fun to write especially next episode where Ashley is gonna be feeling quite awkward and jealous in the next chapter.**_

 _ **K. Daniels:**_ Here is the update and I hope you enjoy it.

 _ **NicoleR85:**_ I'm glad that you liked the chapter. Here is the new one and I hope you like it.

 _ **SomebodyWhoCares:**_ Slang Spanish is the best though XD. Let's see what is going to happen in the next chapter considering Damon in the TV show has a little party with Rebekah and Sage.

 _ **galwidanatitud:**_ He sure as hell needs to step up his game if he wants to get a real chance with Ashley here. In my opinion, Elena isn't that worthy to get saved by everyone in almost every episode. When I watched TVD for the first time, all I could think was how much Elena got herself into deep shit and how the Mystic Falls gang had to sacrifice so much in order to save her. Even when she was in a coma, they had to do everything to save her which was annoying.

 _ **P.S. Thank you for your favorites and follows.**_


	18. Break On Through

_**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE VAMPIRE DIARIES BUT I DO OWN MY CHARACTERS AND THEIR STORYLINES.**_

* * *

Damon Salvatore couldn't help but look at her. Her eyes were tired and puffy, her nose too and her lips seemed to need some chapstick as she was biting down on them. Her hair were in a messy bun and she hadn't even bothered putting any kind of makeup on. She was staring at the her uncle who was in MRI room getting scanned and she hadn't noticed that he had been staring at her since he set foot in the hospital.

"So what are you looking for?" She asked before clearing her throat to hide the cracking voice of hers.

Meredith was in the room with them too including Elena but he wasn't paying attention to them that much. "I don't know. A tumor, vascular anomalies, anything physical that might explain his behavior. If it's medical, I can treat it." Meredith explained to the dark haired girl who nodded her head slightly.

"If it's not?" She asked, her eyes still on her uncle who could feel the stares of the people even though he was laying down.

"Well, then we'll deal with that too." Damon heard Ashley sigh and then she moved a strand of her hair that had fallen off her messy bun behind her ear. Damon's attention turned to Alaric who was slid under the MRI machine.

"When did you suspect him? That it was Alaric who was killing all of those people?" Elena asked the doctor who turned to look at the teenager while Ashley was still looking at her uncle.

Damon wanted to do something. He wanted to talk to her to make her feel better but he just stayed there leaning against the wall waiting for the MRI scan to be finished."It was after he told me about his ring. I remembered a story my grandmother had told me about Samantha Gilbert and her secret journal. I don't know if you know this, but we Fells are notorious busy-bodies."

Damon snorted as he remembered one of Meredith's ancestor named Honoria who had been just like the doctor in the room. Until of course, his brother killed as a revenge for what they did to Katherine and the tomb vampires. Somehow those times seemed to be way easier than these ones.

"But then, why did you protect him?" Elena asked and Damon could see that Ashley was paying close attention to the conversation between the doppelganger and the doctor as she looked at her uncle.

"Because I'm a doctor, I don't like to see someone hurt by something they have no control over. And because when he and I first met I felt like...I don't know, I- I just kind of want to help him." Damon saw Ashley held out a snort at Meredith's response. Ashley stayed silent but Damon knew that she had many comments restored in her brain.

"Something is wrong with Ric." Ashley said suddenly and Damon moved next to her to see that Alaric's body was shaking a little.

"Everything alright in there?" Meredith asked the man in the other room. Damon could feel that Ashley was holding her breath as she waited for a response from her uncle.

"Yeah. Yeah, everything's okay." He assured them and immediately after he said those words, Ashley walked out of the control room to the hall. Damon stood there for a split second before he followed her. He saw that she had moved in an empty corridor.

Her head was leaning against the wall and tears ran down her cheeks. "Ashley." He called nut she din't turn to look at him. She kept staring at the other wall ignoring that he had followed her.

Damon walked over to her and then she looked at him. Her eyes filed with tears and he could see that she was struggling not to cry. He didn't know what possessed him but he moved closer to her and cupped her cheek. "It's going to be okay. He's going to get through this."

"What if he doesn't?" She asked her voice cracking a little. Her dark eyes met his blue ones and he could see that she though that hos words were utter bullshit.

"We won't stop trying, okay?" The dark haired girl nodded her head at him and then did she realize how close they foreheads were touching and if someone walked towards them, they would think that they had been kissing.

"I need to see if he's okay." Ashley whispered to him and Damon nodded his head in understanding. She moved past him leaving the vampire watching her walk away from him. It was a sight that he didn't enjoy at all.

* * *

"Meredith says everything is normal." Elena informed the two Saltzmans as soon as she entered the hospital room where Alaric was staying. Ashley took a deep breath and turned to look at her uncle.

"Yeah, well, everything is normal, because there is nothing wrong with me. I didn't kill Brian Walters, I didn't kill Bill Forbes, and I sure as hell didn't shove a hunting knife into my stomach." Alaric defended himself at the to girls in front of him before glancing at the ring that had brought him back from death countless times. "Or I did and I've gone insane, just like your ancestor who wore that ring."

"Damon mentioned that a Bennett witch made those rings, so someone needs to call Bonnie." Ashley said as she glanced at Elena who nodded in agreement with Ashley's idea.

"Take it. I don't want it any more." Alaric gave the ring back to Elena who looked down at it. Ashley wanted to say something but Damon entered the room and spoke to his best friend.

"You ready to ditch this House of Horrors? Oof, you look terrible." Damon commented on his best friend's look earning a glare from both Elena and Ashley.

"No one asked for your input." Ashley told him and Damon just gave her a half smile which she turned with one of her own. Both the vampire and the bruja missed the looks that Elena and Alaric were giving them.

"Yeah, let me...let me check outta here." Alaric walked out of the room and headed to the check himself out. Elena gave Damon a hateful look and then followed Alaric behind.

Ashley snorted making Damon turn to look at her. "Did you piss her off or something?"

"After you left us in the Grill last night, me and Rebekah took Stefan for a little snack." Ashley flinched knowing that it didn't well but Damon continued. "We found a blonde one even though I would prefer a tall, dark and beautiful one," Ashley narrowed her eyes at him as a smirk appeared on Damon's face. "Stefan started to feed, he was in total control thanks to me but Elena sowed up and she was horrified and disappointed in both of us."

"Why can't Stefan just learn to feed on blood bags like you do?" Ashley asked with a raised eyebrow as she remembered how Stefan acted the day before in the Grill.

"My little brother needs to learn to control his urge for blood." Damon responded to her question and the dark haired girl nodded her head.

"To think that last year this time, I was worried about my midterms. How fast life changes." She commented and Damon gave her a shrug. "Come on."

Ashley moved to Alaric who was talking to the nurse in the reception while Damon followed Elena outside. Ashley watched with close attention the vampire and the doppelganger.

"Is something going on between you two?" The question that Alaric asked her had taken her off guard but she tried to hide it.

"Between me and who?" Ashley asked like she didn't know what he was talking about.

"Between you and Damon." Her uncle responded and Ashley raised an eyebrow at him before responding.

"Nothing but banter and friendship." He didn't seem to believe her one bit and the dark haired girl was growing anxious a little.

"I see more than friendship."

"Maybe the ring is making you delusional." Ashley hated to lie to her uncle but she didn't want to worry about her love life when he had a crazy alter ego who was killing people.

"Are we going?" Meredith came to the view as she had gotten out of her doctor uniform and was wearing casual clothes.

"Where are we going?" Ashley asked as she looked between her uncle and the doctor.

"To the restoration of Wickery Bridge." Alaric responded to her and Ashley raised an eyebrow at the information.

"Is it just me or does this town squeeze events as much as they can?" Meredith hummed in agreement and the nurse came and told Alaric that he was free to leave.

The three of them got out only to see Damon waiting for them in the parking lot. "You coming too?" She asked and he nodded his head at her.

"I'm an honorary Town Council member who made a donation for the bridge, of course I'm coming." He responded as the walked towards Damon's car followed by Alaric and Meredith who were paying close attention to the two of them.

"You and the word honorary doesn't fit." Ashley told him as she walked to the passenger's seat of the car while Damon went to the driver's seat.

"It totally does but you're just jealous that I'm in the Town Council." Ashley rolled her eyes as both of them got in the car and Damon turned the engine on waiting for Alaric and Meredith to enter the car.

"I would love to be in a privileged group of people who are mostly white men with money." Ashley responded to him with a smile and Damon stayed silent as the two other joined them in the car. "What happened to the bridge that needs to have restoration?"

"It was the bridge that Elena's parents had the accident." The dark haired girl let out an 'Oh' but she said nothing else concerning the matter.

The drive was short and the only person who talked was Damon who kept going that the bridge should have bee restored months ago but the town was too busy planning useless events.

When they arrived in the place, they saw that it was full of people and Ashley wasn't particularly thankful for that. She much prefer secluded places these days.

"Rebekah's up to something. She's been snooping around in places she shouldn't be." Damon pointed out and Ashley noticed the blonde Original talking to Carol Lockwood.

"Tell me again, why are we here?" Alaric asked as he seemed just as excited about the whole thing like his niece.

"Ric, the world can't stop just because you're an accidental psycho killer." Damon's words earned him a scoff from Alaric and a kick from Ashley.

"Do you have any tact whatsoever?" Meredith asked Damon in disbelief as she seemed to be the one of the many people who didn't like Damon.

"I've been wondering about that since I met him." Ashley responded for Damon but the vampire stayed silent after her words. Just then, they noticed the mayor walking over to them.

The woman said something to Alaric but Ashley got distracted by Damon's whispers. "We both know that you wonder about different things when you think about him." His voice made the dark haired girl shudder but she tried to compose herself for her uncle not to suspect anything.

"Your ego is too big for your brain, Damon." She mumbled to him with a warning voice but he ignored her.

"You used to think of how good a kisser I am but now you already know. So, what do you do? You just want it more." Ashley moved away from him but she could feel that a blush had crept inside of her. There was definitely a tingle between her legs but she tried to ignore it and Damon.

"We're going to go." Alaric informed her and Damon making Ashley raise an eyebrow.

"But we just came." She pointed out and he only gave her a shrug.

"Do you want to come with us?"

"Yes!" Ashley's response came faster than she liked and she got a suspicious look from Alaric. "This place reeks boredom and Damon isn't that exciting as he makes himself to be."

"You wound me, Buffy." He told her and she tuck her tongue out but he ignored it. "I'm going to stick here a little bit longer." Ashley saw Damon cast a look towards a beautiful redhead who was looking at him with the same look Damon was looking her.

"Who is that?" Alaric asked as Ashley studied the woman for a little bit and could see clearly that the woman wanted to talk to Damon.

"A blast from the past." Damon responded before he made his way over to the redhead. Something about the woman's look reminded Ashley of something. _Sage._ The redheaded woman was Sage.

Ashley could feel the little green monster inside of her appear and she ignored it by walking with her uncle and whatever Meredith was to her uncle.

* * *

There were many things that Ashley regretted in her life and staying in the Gilbert house with Alaric and Meredith was definitely a regret. She was worried about her uncle but she sure as hell didn't want to see him flirt with another woman. He was trying not to but he always ended up doing so.

Right now, she was going through Meredith's file on her uncle with Alaric while Meredith had gone to the bathroom. Ashley learned a lot about her uncle while reading those files.

"I didn't know Isobel gave you restraining orders." Ashley asked a little bit shocked at the whole truth about her uncle and his now dead wife.

"Your mom's work trips were her coming to bail me out of jail." He explained to her and the bruja let out a sigh as she kept reading them. Her family seemed to have spent most of the time with her by lying to her.

"I never thought of you as angry guy. You were the cool uncle who would sneak me candies in Thanksgiving who had bitch for a wife." She told him as she mentioned her old family tradition and Alaric let out a scoff.

"Yeah, well I was stupid when I was younger. But, listen, it's not like these guys didn't have it coming. I mean, this guy here, broke a beer bottle over a bartender's head. This guy, hit his girlfriend. This guy, okay, this guy was just a douche." He pointed to a rather douche looking guy in the photos and Ashley couldn't help but laugh. She was joined by her uncle too in the laugh. "Everyone needs to find a way to deal with their dark side. Some people meditate. I became a vampire hunter."

"I thought you were semi-retired?" Ashley teased him and Alaric shrugged to her making her smile.

"Hey," Meredith entered the room holding a bottle of whiskey and two glasses. "would Elena mind if we take some of the drinks in the cabinet?"

"She wouldn't because they are Alaric's." Ashley responded looking at her uncle who looked at the whiskey with eagerness. "And this is no fun because I'm underage. Unless.."

"Don't even think about it. And don't you have a job to do?" Ashley winced at the mention of her job as a waitress in the Grill.

"I quit the job today."

"You what?!" Alaric asked quite angry and shocked at the fact that Ashley had quit her job.

"It was just a complete waste of time and they didn't pay me well at all." She responded in her defense and Alaric let out a sigh.

"How are you going to pay for college?" Alaric asked and Ashley hated to admit that college had been the least of her worries.

"College isn't a priority. You are. And so is the fact that I'm a bruja." Ashley responded to him completely forgetting that Meredith is standing next to them.

"A bruja?" Meredith asked making the two Saltzmans turned to look at her.

"It's a long story." Ashley responded before turning to face the bronze haired man in front of her. "I need to finish my priorities than think of college."

"Is Damon one of your priorities?" He asked and then Ashley took a step back. She couldn't believe he said that to her. Was it that much of a big deal that she liked his best friends?

"Real mature, Ric. Real mature." Ashley walked out of the room, she moved to one of the bathroom upstairs. She cussed under her breath and then she heard her phone vibrate. It was a text from Rebekah.

 _'Damon tried to flirt with me but don't worry, I only got drunk and left. Nothing happened.'_

Ashley wanted to throw her phone in the toilet at the message but she only texted Rebekah that she was being a good friend to her.

He had said that he cared for her, that he wanted to kiss only her but he somehow had flirted with Rebekah and she didn't know how it all happened but she couldn't help but feel jealous.

If she had stayed in the town event, she would have ended up kissing him senselessly in front of all those people without the care in the world. She had left with her uncle and now she was locked up in a bathroom and she wanted to scream at something.

She wanted to fix everything but she didn't know what. She was so angry and confused that she could almost explode.

Suddenly, a crack was heard and the room went quite darker. Ashley turned her head to see that she had broken one of the lighting bulbs. Did she use her powers?

In most movies, when someone had an idea a lighting bulb would turn but with Ashley the bulb had to break. The bruja needed to use her own powers if she wanted to save her uncle.

* * *

"Hey, I think I'm going to my apartment." She told her uncle after she cooled down and cleaned the mess that she had made in the bathroom.

"Listen, I want you to have this." Alaric extended a pad to Ashley making that dark haired girl kink her left eyebrow. "This is a list of my bank accounts, passwords and where to find my will, unless this doesn't go right for me."

"Don't talk bullshit, Ric. We are going to get through this." Ashley pushed the pad to him and he let out a sigh. He wanted to apologize to his niece but Elena entered the house and looked at them.

"Bonnie thinks she can help you with a spell." Elena informed Alaric and Ashley could have swore that she had the urge to hug Elena at the good new she had given to them.

"Well, it's worth a try." The man said to them and Ashley sighed in relief at the fact that Bonnie had found a solution.

"But she needs something that you wore before you put on the ring. Something personal." There was a silence as the vampire hunter thought of something he used to ear before he put on that cursed ring.

"Well, there's uh- there's my wedding ring. It's at the loft." He told Elena and the brunette teenager nodded her head liking his plan.

"Okay, yeah, uh- that's a...that's a good idea." Alaric was about to get up but Ashley stopped and made him sit down in the chair.

"I think it's better if you stay here with Meredith while me and Elena get the ring." Ashley advised her uncle who nodded his head in agreement at her.

"It's in the dresser by the kitchen. It's in a...an aspirin bottle, probably covered in cobwebs." Alaric explained to his niece where he had left his wedding ring and the dark haired girl listened carefully.

The girls got in Elena's car and drove to Alaric's apartment. "How is Bonnie's mom?" Elena was surprised by the question Ashley asked.

"She didn't speak much of her mom. She just wanted to get over with it." Elena responded and somehow Elena's answers made Ashley know how the conversation through the phone had gone.

"You didn't ask her, did you?" Ashley asked and Elena stayed silent for the whole ride giving Ashley an answer. the bruja didn't press the conversation, she just waited for them to arrive in the apartment. The girls started to ascend the stairs to the apartment fast but the stopped when they saw the younger Salvatore brother leaning against the doorframe.

"Missed you two at the house. Alaric told me you'd be here." Stefan said to the girls but Ashley ignored him as she moved to unlock the door of the apartment.

"You made yourself perfectly clear this morning, Stefan. You don't want to be around me." Elena snapped at Stefan and Ashley couldn't help but roll her dark eyes about the whole thing.

"I'm not trying to hurt you, Elena. I just can't be who you want me to be right now. I'm not in control." Stefan told his e girlfriend but Elena didn't have the time to respond to him as Ashley spoke.

"I know you guys love drama but you should stop your love quarrel for a minute and focus on what's important." Ashley opened the door of the apartment and got in missing the words Stefan said to Elena.

"That's why Damon likes her cause she is fiercely protective and honest." Stefan followed the bruja and then the doppelganger decided to enter the place. "I need to tell you two something."

"You don't need to tell me that you're in love with Elena, tell her." Ashley said as she moved to the dresser near the kitchen.

"I uh- I did a little more digging on Samantha Gilbert." Stefan informed the girl but only Elena listened to him as Ashley was too busy looking for the wedding ring. "Founding families were always pretty good about destroying their records, but I found a couple of newspaper articles. It seemed she killed two people while she was in the institution. A nurse and a guard."

"So, she was a psychopath. I get it." Elena already had enough of listening about her crazy ancestors but she was missing Stefan's point.

"She was under suicide watch. No personal effects, no jewelry."

Stefan's words hit something on Ashley's brain that made her stop the search for the ring. "Wait, so, you're saying that the violent behavior can still happen even if the person isn't wearing the ring?"

The curt nod that Stefan gave to her was that they needed to do this fast which made Ashley look through the things quite faster. "What if Bonnie's spell doesn't work? What are you gonna do with him?"

"Find other solutions. Try using my powers." Ashley responded to the younger brother as Elena had joined her in the search of the ring too.

"You don't know how long this has been going on. Might be too late." Ashley turned around and went to face the younger Salvatore brother in total fury.

"Are you trying to say that we should kill my uncle? Ashley asked with a raised eyebrow and Stefan crossed his arms on his chest.

"Plus, it's my family's ring that's doing this to him. It's my responsibility to fix it." Elena spoke from her place and Ashley could't believe how the doppelganger turned the fact that Alaric had his on Mr. Hyde around her.

"You can't put that on yourself. Not everyone is your responsibility. Not everyone can be saved." Ashley then realized where the whole thing was going to and couldn't believe she was living among so many self-centered people.

"Are we talking about Alaric here or are we talking about you? Because I wasn't planning on giving up on either of you."

"Okay, that's enough of you two." Ashley stopped the argument between the two people with her in the apartment. "I really don't know how you could made the whole Ric thing spin around your relationship but you need to stop. You should leave the apartment or help me with finding the fucking wedding ring."

She then turned to look at the other drawers and she was joined by both of them. Stefan opened the last drawer and Ashley could see the frown in his face. "What are you looking at?"

Stefan picked a picture from the drawer and turned to look at her. "Pictures of his victims." In reflex, the dark haired girl moved to the drawers and saw the rest of the things that her uncle was keeping in the drawer. One of the reasons he did that was because he knew that she would never h=go through his personal place which was this damn dresser.

"They were right under my nose." Ashley muttered under her breath as she went through the horrifying things in the drawer. They were pictured, details of the victims and an envelope for Jeremy. "This is for your brother." She handed Elena the envelope.

" _'Jeremy, if anything happens to me, carry on my work. You have the other ring, let the ring make you strong. The council must be cleansed before the work can begin.'_ " Elena read out loud and Ashley didn't even know if they were talking about her uncle or just some serial killer like the Zodiac Killer or The Axeman of New Orleans.

"It's the Founders Council roster. Looks like some sort of hit list." Stefan said as he looked through some other things in that same drawer.

"No, Alaric didn't write this." Elena was in denial unlike the other people in the room who knew that he actually did it.

"Who else could it be?" Ashley turned to Elena and the brunette ripped the note that Alaric had written to her brother. Ashley moved to find the aspirin bottle and when she did, she turned to look at the vampire and the doppelganger.

"We need to go back." She told them and they nodded their heads in agreement.

* * *

Ashley gave Stefan a nod to say that she would give him some sort of signal if she felt that there was something going on with her uncle. Stefan moved to the kitchen while the two girls stood in the corridor of the Gilbert house.

"Hey there." Alaric greeted them with a smile as he was cleaning his hands with a towel. Ashley tightened the grip she had on the bag she was holding and looked at her uncle.

"Hi, where's Meredith?" She asked him as he started to descend all the stairs and turned to look at the two girls who saw him as a father figure.

"Oh, she got called into the hospital for a last-minute surgery, but she'll be back later." He responded and both girls noticed that Alaric had an injured hand.

"What happened with your hands?" Elena asked as Ashley was staring down at the hand not being able to look at her uncle.

"Oh, I...I broke a coffee cup and sliced my hand open trying to pick up the pieces. Did Stefan catch up with you?" The girls shook their heads clearly lying to the man at the stairs who took a a step down to them. "Did you get my ring?"

"We couldn't find it." Ashley responded as she looked at his blue eyes that had some sort of emotion that was unfamiliar to her. Alaric descended the last stair and looked towards the two girls.

"I'll go get it myself." Ashley didn't give him a comment as her eyes moved down to the knife that was bloodied and was on the floor. Alaric followed her line of vision and he was about to grab the knife if it wasn't for Stefan and his vampire speed. The vampire grabbed him and pulled him in a sleeper hold.

"Don't hurt him." Elena said to Stefan but Ashley didn't speak as she looked at her uncle who grew unconscious rather quickly because of Stefan's power. The vampire put the man in floor and Ashley had her eyes still fixed on her uncle.

"Elena, I need you to come upstairs with me. You, stay here." Stefan directed his words to a rather silent and shocked Ashley who was staring at her uncle. Did her uncle want to hurt Elena or her? What happened to him?

The girl only stared at her uncle as she could feel the world around disappear. She looked at the knife and felt tears run down her cheeks. It seemed because of that cursed ring there wasn't much of her uncle left.

"Ashley, I think you should go home and not see this." She heard Elena's words and the bruja nodded her head. She knew what happened. Her uncle had hurt the woman who wanted to help him. He had hurt Meredith.

Ashley immediately got out of the house and walked with a rush towards her apartment. She tried to hold her tears down and then she reminded that she needed to do something. She got her phone out and dialed number.

 _"Hello?"_ She heard her grandmother's voice and Ashley sniffed a little.

"Grandma, I need your help about something."

* * *

Ashley looked down to the number her grandmother had given her. The number of the only person who had the powers of brujeria. and lived in U.S A brujo named Gabriel Lopez.

She had explained her grandma the whole thing over the phone and her grandmother's first reaction was for Ashley to pack her things and leave mystic Falls. But Ashley knew the ugly truth. The ugly truth was that she was too deep now to escape from her reality.

"Ashley." She heard Damon's voice from the living room but she didn't even move. She stayed in her bed looking at the sheets of her bed. "Hey."

"How is he?" She asked her eyes still to focused on her bed. Damon walked over to her and sat next to her in the bed.

"He's resting. Bonnie performed a spell on him, hopefully it would make you feel better. She also thinks that you need to create some distance with him for a time." Ashley nodded her head and Damon put a strand of her hair behind her ear but the dark haired girl moved away from him.

"Leave me alone." She told him firmly without sparing him a single look.

"You need someone here with you." He reminded her and Ashley scoffed at him a little bit.

"Why don't you go flirt with Rebekah?" She snapped at him and she felt like she was Elena and he was Stefan at this whole thing. She was being a hypocrite at the moment but she was tired of giving a damn.

There was a silence before Damon spoke to her. "Rebekah told you herself, didn't she?" Damon asked her and she nodded her head. "I was just using her and that only opened more troubles for me."

"What do you mean?" She asked with a raised eyebrow and finally looked at him.

"I planned to manipulate Rebekah with Sage. That girl is desperate for company and I got her drunk. I had to put my charm on just to make her drink ore which went as planned. I found out that the new Wickery bridge was build with white oak, the same tree that could kill an Original. Sage betrayed me and told Rebekah. They though they burned every thing build on the Wickery bridge," Ashley turned her full attention to the vampire next to her. "but they didn't. I got the sign of the bridge that is build with the white oak."

"We have a weapon against the Originals." She clarified and Damon nodded his head. "Finally, some good news."

"And if Bonnie's spell goes well, Ric would be all good too." He reminded her and Ashley sighed in relief. She was finally getting some good news of weeks of only receiving bad ones.

"Even if it doesn't work, I'm going to start to use my powers." Damon frowned a little at the idea of her using those powers. "I need to use every chance of saving my uncle."

"Just don't do anything stupid." He warned her and the bruja narrowed her eyes at him.

"You're the only doing stupid things like trying to manipulate one thousand years old vampires." She reminded him and he only shrugged her before meeting his blue eyes with her brown ones.

"I kinda like the forbidden, the dangerous." He neared her and she kept looking at him. "These days even the exotic." Ashley scoffed at him but couldn't help but smile at him a little. "And I meant what I said that the only person I want to kiss is you this time. No one else."

She didn't know what happened but the next thing she remembered was her lips pressed against Damon's. He pressed them right back as he pushed a strand of her hair behind her ear. Somehow the kiss was a comfort for her that made her thing that everything around her was going to get better.

Ashley moved so she was straddling Damon's lap and deepened the kiss. Her hands moved to the strand of his raven colored hair while Damon's hands were on her hips so he could keep her ground on him. They kissed for quite awhile like that before Damon pushed them towards the bed making Ashley go under him.

They continued to kiss and that was all they did all night. Kiss and find comfort in it.

* * *

 _ **Here is the new chapter and I'm going to tell you that the next chapter will be coming quite late as I have my birthday coming up, plus exams and let's not forget the holidays that are coming. So basically I wouldn't have the time to write unless I get really inspired and write the chapter in less than two days. Either way, the next chapter will have some juicy stuff.**_

 _ **NicoleR85:**_ I'm so happy you enjoyed the last chapter and I hope you enjoy this one too.

 _ **SomebodyWhoCares:**_ This chapter is quite a dramatic chapter, after all this is a fanfiction for TVD one of the most dramatic shows I've ever seen. There is going to be a brujo and he will make his first appearance in the next chapter.

 _ **Adela:**_ I'm glad that you loved the chapter.

 _ **Bella-swan11:**_ About Hanna, she would make an appearance further in the story with their other best friend Eva. You don't have to worry because Hanna isn't pregnant. Klaus is able to have kids but there is big possibility of not conceiving one. Ashley and Damon would have 'the talk' in two chapters (3x19) about their relationship. Ashley is quite insecure of her relationship with Damon because of Katherine and Elena but they would talk it out. As you can see in this chapter, Ashley had decided to use her powers to help her uncle.

 _ **Percy Ross Vulturi Uchiha:**_ Unfortunately, I have decided to stick with canon so Alaric would die but that would make you guys discover a new depth about Ashley and you would learn more about her grieving system plus her powers are going to come out to shine, I guess. There's gonna be so many badass bruja moments in season 4 where Ashley is just gonna kick ass.

 _ **galwidanatitud:**_ I couldn't have said it better myself to tell you the truth.


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